


Netflix and Chill

by auroraXborealis



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! - All Media Types, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: AU-gust 2020, Adventure, Alternate Universe, Banter, Blindshipping, Enemies to Lovers, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Other side shipping, Puzzleshiping - Freeform, Too many AUs to tag them all, YGO Collab Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:40:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 15
Words: 108,821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25632946
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/auroraXborealis/pseuds/auroraXborealis
Summary: When the department of Human Resources from Kaiba Corp decides it is in the company’s best interest to send some of its employees on a team-building seminar for a whole weekend, Atem does not think his bonding experience with his colleagues will turn out to be this intense.Especially when he is thrown into a downward spiral of strange events with the one coworker he dislikes the most: Yugi.Now, they must work together to survive and figure out all the clues to make it back home.*Part of AU-gust 2020! 31 AU one-shots ranging from drabbles to longer pieces, but with the additional challenge of tying them all together to form a cohesive story!*
Relationships: Atem/Mutou Yuugi, Mutou Yuugi/Yami Yuugi
Comments: 258
Kudos: 134
Collections: AUgust 2020





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Alright, so this the start a very new and epic adventure! Not one from backing away from a challenge when issued, my lovely collab [bewdofchaos](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bewdofchaos/pseuds/bewdofchaos) and I told ourselves we could do this AU-gust challenge in the form of a multi-chapter cohesive fic. We have been working on our ideas together on the side, and this is turning out to be one very fun and intense collaboration! Love ya, Pants!
> 
> So this is the prologue to this wonderful journey you are about to go on! Chapters might not be posted daily, I reserve the right to post them when I feel they deserve to end up here hihi!
> 
> Haven't heard of the AU-gust challenge yet? Check it out [here](https://augustwritingchallenge.tumblr.com/post/621653119656493056/the-list-of-prompts-was-completed-one-prompt-per)!
> 
> Enjoy!

There were a few situations in his life that Atem could definitely pinpoint as uncomfortable.

And this particular one almost topped the list.

Let’s rewind, shall we?

***

Five years ago, Atem had walked into the lobby of Kaiba Corporation, his resume held tightly in his hands as he climbed aboard the glass elevator that would take him to the twentieth floor. A quick glance around the small compartment lead him to notice that he was not the only one here for the job interview. Looking down at his clothes, he realised that he might have dressed up a bit too much to apply for a videogame reviewer position. There were two people next to him wearing jeans and t-shirts, like some overgrown teenagers, sticking out like sore thumbs in their surroundings. The one with a mop of blonde hair looked at him and smirked. There was something quite familiar about him, but the stress in his system prevented him from focusing on what it was.

“I like your hair, my bestie has a similar style.”

Atem, not one for small talk but one for politeness, smiled back. “Thanks.”

The elevator doors opened and people poured out into a very modernly styled lobby. Atem quickly counted and swallowed. There were over twenty heads here, and only one open position. The blonde guy left his side and went straight to a set of double frosted glass doors. He turned around to face the crowd and beamed.

“So let’s get this show on the road, people!”

Atem raised an eyebrow and wondered where this guy got all his confidence when he suddenly introduced himself as Jounouchi Katsuya, world renowned Duel Monster duelist and one of the most famous videogame testers trending on the web right now. He was one of Kaiba Corp.’s biggest assets when it came to publicity, even if his constant feuding with the president of the company was the topic of much gossip around. Atem swallowed again, harder.

But everything faded away when he found himself surrounded by computer and virtual reality material. He basked in the glory of all that high-tech equipment and felt right at home. His years of studying (and gaming of course) certainly seemed to pay off because he quickly made it to the top of the interview group, and almost too soon, Jounouchi was shaking his hand, welcoming him to the gang with a pat on the back while announcing that they would certainly become very good friends.

At first, he had barely left the twentieth floor where the game testers were mostly situated. He had so much to learn and take in during those first few weeks that he arrived home each evening spent, but very happy about his progress. Jou seemed to have taken a liking to him and mentored him along the way. The guy was loud and sometimes obnoxious, but so very honest in all ways possible that Atem found himself enjoying his company nonetheless. That was until Jou decided he should meet his best friend, another well know asset to the company.

Yugi Mutou.

It came to no surprise that Jou and Yugi would be friends, as Yugi was the most sought out game designer right now. He had worked on some of the best-selling games of the decade, most of them favourites of Atem’s. Atem knew that Yugi worked somewhere in the building, probably on a higher level floor, and that everyone seemed to love him so much. That should have been Atem’s first clue. No one could ever be that loved by everybody, it was unnatural.

There was something quite eerie about Yugi, like an air of grandeur that would immediately suffocate him whenever he walked in the room. The moment their eyes met, that intense amethyst colour threw him off completely. He was not one to comment on it, his own eyes being a rare crimson shade, but it was the fact that those eyes seemed to say something totally different than the happy greetings that came out of Yugi’s mouth that bothered him.

“So this is the great Atem Sennen! Jou has told me so much about you!”

He took the hand offered to him, but quickly ended the shake. He did not know what made his skin prickle at the mere presence of the other, but he tried to push it away and act nice towards the other man. Yugi’s eyes seemed to shift for a moment, but they were back their happy pool of lavender in an instant.

“Want to come and grab lunch with us? I’d love to hear your thoughts about some new ideas for the new Spherium prototype!”

Unease kept crawling up his spine. He refused politely and promptly went back to his office, only being able to shake off the feeling as he walked away from both men. It took him a few other times talking Yugi to realize why he felt this way.

No one could be that nice. No one could make it in life like Yugi had with only smiles and nice gestures. There was little known about Yugi’s personal life, but the way he portrayed himself in public was obviously a front. And that was what was bugging Atem to his core.

Yugi Mutou was a fake. This whole happy-go-lucky persona of his was nothing but fake.

And the more Yugi tried to befriend him, the more it got on his nerves. Jou had tried broaching the topic with him, but Atem would rebuff him constantly, saying he just did not want to spend time with the other man and he preferred to work alone. In his efforts, he had made friends with another person in the department, and he would often hide in their office to avoid another talk from Jou or another offer of friendship from Yugi. He liked to whine about it to Malik, who could not seem to care less about the situation, but Malik liked his company well enough to let him vent.

As months and years went by, Yugi’s attempts at talking grew further apart and it seemed the other man also started harbouring some form of animosity when they were both in the same room. He kept the polite façade around him, but the smiles never reached his eyes. That only served the purpose of reinforcing Atem’s suspicions about Yugi’s motives and behaviour. Jou did not try to understand what was going on between them anymore and he kept both his friendships with them apart, still being the honest goofy dork around Atem, unaffected by the events.

Atem would have continued on with his life perfectly happy about everything if the Human Resources department at Kaiba Corp. had not decided to change that

***

In the last five years working for the company, Atem had learned that his boss, while a very efficient one, was also, to put it lightly, a real cold ice king. With rumours flying around of their work environment being a little too uptight and strict, HR had decided they needed to send employees of each department to a bonding seminar for a whole weekend.

That’s how Atem found himself with a weekend bag in hand in front of a bus, forced to go on a team building trip to a woodland resort a few hours away from the city with other employees, including Malik and Jou, and to his great dismay, Yugi. Even their boss, the one and only Seto Kaiba, had been forced to join them. As the thirty something employees crammed into the bus, Atem tried to sit as far away from Yugi as possible, citing motion sickness to get a seat closer to the front of the vehicle.

They made it through a first day of bonding exercises with various types of outdooring activities. So far, they had been forced to complete this intense obstacle course in teams where they had, amongst other things, climbed walls with ropes, crawled through mud, raced across a lake in canoes, and found their way up and down a mountain using cryptic maps and a compass. To be honest, Atem had been quite impressed at the physical and analytical prowess of some of his coworkers. Mai’s team, consisting of her, Ryou and Otogi had dominated the course with the best strategys overall. Jou had surprisingly done well despite all his clumsiness, Malik had managed to get dirty without a fuss, but the real stunner of the day had been his boss, who had downright slayed all the obstacles almost as if his reputation depended on it. Just this morning, he had heard Kaiba mutter under his breath how ridiculous this whole thing was, and that no one could force him to partake in any of it. He had to guess that the added detail of this being a challenge had changed his mind. Atem had tried his best to ignore how Yugi was doing, already very happy that he had not ended up on his team. However, it had been hard not to see how well the other had done with most of the obstacles, despite his unwavering efforts at not noticing it.

In the end, Atem was as grateful as anyone else to finally make it a very large cabin, which was pretty luxurious considering their secluded location. They each had their own room and bathroom, and he immediately went to take a long, hot shower to relax his muscles and get rid of all the dirt he was covered in. Afterwards, he was desperately hungry, so he made it to the common area where food had been laid out for them. He took a seat at the table next to Malik who was already present and dived into his food greedily. His friend had commented on their teamwork and how he was pretty content with their second place. They had been lucky to end up together in the draw for teams that morning. Yugi and Kaiba’s team had tied in second place with them.

It seemed like the day had taken its toll on most people as the employees soon retreated to each of their rooms for the night. Atem poured himself a cup of coffee, headed to the porch surrounding their cabin, and sat on one of the many wooden chairs offered to for their use. Being this far away from the city enabled him to gaze up at the stars, but he was mostly grateful for the peace and quiet after a long day of “bonding”. When the coffee from his mug could not stop the cold breeze from reaching into his bones anymore, he headed back in and looked around the common living room. He was still too awake to go to bed, so he settled on one of the couches and reached for the remote control to turn on the gigantic television screen.

He was not used to watching that much TV anymore, but knew how to navigate his way through the various streaming applications. There were just so many to choose from and he realised he was spending way too much time trying to find something to watch instead of actually watching anything. As he was reading the description of a movie on the screen, he heard someone come into the kitchen area behind him and the sound of a mug being pulled from the cabinets.

“I did not peg you for the horror movie type.”

He could recognize that voice anywhere now. Of course, Yugi had to be the one still awake and wandering around the cabin. But why did he have to come sit on the other couch with him?

“Heck, I did not peg for you anything, really.”

Atem glanced at him after that comment. Gone was the joyful man from their first meeting. He had been mostly simply courteous in his presence for quite some time now, but since there was nobody else around now, he had dropped even that smile from his face.

“No one is forcing you to enjoy my company, you know.” Atem replied.

He heard Yugi sigh as he took a sip from what he assumed was also coffee. He forced himself to read over the movie description he was looking at, focusing on the words instead of the fact that the other was sitting in the same room. He could feel Yugi’s gaze on him and it made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up from all that unwanted attention. He went back to the menu and started browsing again.

“Could you just… I don’t know… pick one?” Yugi said.

Atem did not even look at him as he spoke, and tried once again to read another movie description, failing miserably. “What does it matter to you?”

Yugi set his mug on the coffee table in front of them, his hands still wrapped around it. In his periphery, Atem could see that he was chewing on his lower lip, as if trying to come up with an answer. Finally, he spoke up again.

“I just want to watch something, anything. I know this situation might not be ideal to you, but I originally came here with the intention of distracting myself too.”

Atem slowly turned his head to look at him. Yugi’s eyes briefly met his before he went back to staring at the TV. Being ignored offended Atem even more, probably because, even if his mind was still wide awake, the day had done a number on his nerves. He stood from the couch and threw the remote onto the one Yugi was currently occupying.

“Well, you pick then. I’m off to bed.”

He walked away from the seating area and was nearly out of the room when a clatter on the wall next to him stopped him dead in his tracks.

“Why are you being like that?!” Yugi hissed, loud enough for him to hear, but not loud enough to wake anyone who might have been already sleeping at that time.

Atem’s gaze went to the floor when he noticed the cause of the earlier clatter; the TV remote had hit the wall with enough strength to open up, spilling the batteries out of their designated sockets. What the…? Had Yugi just thrown it at him? He spun on his heels and faced the other man.

“Are you mad?!” he exclaimed.

Yugi was no longer sitting on the couch. He was standing, his spine straight and his hands curled in fists on his side.

“No, but I’m getting so tired of you being an ass!” Yugi proclaimed back, his violet eyes filling with anger.

The bronzed man picked up the remote from the ground and willed away the desire to throw it right back at the other, aiming for that annoying face. He set the batteries back into with a little too much forced that was needed for the action and walked back to the couch.

“You are insufferable! You’re acting just like a needy little child!” he snapped.

Yugi opened up his mouth in an offended motion and spat out his next words. “I’m the child?! Says the man who can barely tolerate the presence of anyone around him without throwing a silent tantrum!”

Atem crossed his arms against his chest defiantly. “It’s not a tantrum if it’s silent. If you are going to use big boy words, use them correctly.”

The way Atem stood his ground, still acting all dejected about their whole exchange, seemed to drive Yugi even more up the wall. “You are such a jerk!”

“Likewise.” he simply snorted.

Yugi had walked around to stop only a few inches from him, clearly trying to rattle a reaction out of him. His cheeks were tainted with a slight pink hue that Atem knew was from anger and annoyance. This whole exchange was just proving the point he had made in his mind years ago: that Yugi Mutou was not all sugar and nice.

“I just…!” the paler boy started.

“You just what?” Atem supplied.

Suddenly, the screen from television changed from the streaming application menu to a flickering image of black and white accompanied by a screeching sound so loud it startled them both. Atem reached for his ears, trying to block the high-pitched noise with his palms, the remote still in one of his hands. He noticed Yugi had done the same and was staring at the television just like him.

Suddenly, the screen went completely still and a symbol resembling an Egyptian eye appeared right in the middle before everything went completely blank.

Atem blacked out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now that you have taken a peek at mine, go read hers! Just go already!  
> [Catalysts for Kindling](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25632514/chapters/62222302)
> 
> My [Tumblr](https://xauroraxborealisx.tumblr.com/)


	2. Nascent

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 1: Fantasy AU

There was something definitely wrong about… everything when Atem came to.

There was a musky smell in the air, like right after a rainstorm, and all that fills your senses is the scent of wet grass and mud, and the feel of humidity in the air. However, the last thing he remembered was being indoors and arguing with Yugi… Well, arguing was a strong word. He was merely pushing the other’s buttons without doing much really.

Maybe he had walked outside at one point to get away?

No, that was not it.

He opened his eyes, and the sky was a light grey with hues of baby blue. He felt the ground beneath him as he laid on his back. It was dryer than he had expected. He could also see some walls of soil surrounding him and very tall… blades of grass.

“What the hell?!”

He sat up quickly and only then did he also noticed that there was something on his lap. It looked like an overgrown flower bud, pulsing slightly and emitting a very soft glow. He held it close to his face, but he could not see anything past the petals covering it. This all felt so foreign, but also somewhat familiar.

“What’s going on, baby boy?”

He spun his head around facing the voice that had just addressed him. There, on top of a peak of soil, amongst the vegetation, was a very gooey looking thing… There were words on the tip of his tongue, he did not even know how his brain had thought them up.

“Talking snail…” he whispered.

And it felt even weirder when he instantly knew what that thing was going to reply.

“I'm a slug, baby. No shell over here.”

Next to the slug was a snail, that one had a shell to prove it, both of them looking at him with googly eyes. Then it hit him so hard that he forgot how to breathe for a moment. He knew this, he knew these surroundings, these lines, this talking slug creature, and he knew exactly what the pod in his hands was. The only thing he did not know was why the heck he was having this particular dream sequence when he had watched this movie with his friend’s nephew at last five years ago…

Because this was surely a dream, there was no other logical explanation as to what was happening right now. He must have fallen asleep watching TV, because he could definitely remember there had been a TV near him not too long ago.

He did not have time to reflect upon that fact any longer as people dropped from the sky, surrounding him, making him cling to the fragile pod in his arms, said pod having sprung green tendrils that latched unto him. The men around him were all wearing some sort of green leafy armour like soldiers camouflaged in their environment. One of them stood out from the lot, with no helmet on and a head covered with salt and pepper hair. He started talking but Atem still had trouble just grasping everything happening.

“Did she tell you anything before she left?”

“Before who left?” he answered back.

“The queen, she gave you the pod, the life of the forest, did she tell you what to do with it?”

Quickly, he improvised whatever he thought was best for the situation. “To protect it, like take it somewhere safe?” he offered.

“Sir, we should probably think about heading to Nim Galu. He would know what to do,” one soldier said to what seemed to be their general, if the difference in his uniform was any indication.

Atem stayed quiet as things started moving around him again. The general, Ronin, from what he gathered, was arguing with the slug and snail who seemed convinced they needed to go along with him, and they kept pointing at Atem and the pod. Oh, so they were taking him somewhere. He really did not want to go anywhere, he wanted to wake up at that point, but when he tried subtly pinching himself awake, nothing happened, except a slight pain in his arm.

“We are going to need another bird. Come on, I know where to find one.”

Ronin was pointing at a hummingbird, now mounted by both the slug and snail, as he extended his other hand towards Atem, inviting him on his ride. At this point, the only sensible thing he could think of was to follow the one person around who seemed to know what they were doing. After all, if this was a dream, why not just allow it to happen and see where this was going? He accepted the hand and help as he got on the back of the hummingbird and Ronin settled in front of him, taking the reins.

When it took flight, Atem held his breath for a moment. The sensation took a few seconds to get used to, but their mount was not going very fast due to the added weight of all passengers on it. They made it to the edge of a clearing, a lone tree standing tall in the middle of it. Atem might not have noticed all the details if he had been in his normal size state, but he clearly could see now how people and creatures had gathered around the tree to watch was appeared to be racers circling around the tree. They did not linger for long, landing near a knot in the tree that seemed to have some sort of entrance in it.

His ears picked up on the sound of arguing and there was something quite familiar about one of the voices. They entered a small room and his eyes landed on a figure on the ground, and his nerve endings caught fire.

“Yugi?!”

Said individual looked up and his eyes went wide when he also noticed the presence of the other. His mouth started to form words, but he was picked up from the ground by Ronin who seemed to be scolding him. He brushed his clothes, and while he was talking to the man, Atem took in the sight. Yugi was wearing some sort of long sleeve beige shirt that was quite dirty, a leather harness around one shoulder complementing his leather bracers around his wrists, louse pants secured with leafy green greaves around his shins. His hair was tied back, some managing to escape the little ponytail, and there was also some sort of sword in a sheath strapped to his back.

Then he remembered. He had been arguing with Yugi right before… what, falling asleep? So maybe that was the reason he was appearing in his dream then.

Ronin turned to look at him so he focused his senses back on the situation.

“You’re riding with him,” he said, his thumb pointing Yugi.

“No way!” both he and Yugi said in unison.

Ronin’s eyes went from casual to strict in an instant. “That is not up for discussion. We need to get to Nim Galu, and we need to get there now!”

This prompted them both to just agree with the arrangement without any other fuss. Yugi walked over to a sparrow and mounted it, not waiting for Atem to get next to him. He ignored him completely as he climbed behind him.

“Why did you have to be the one with the pod?” he heard the other mutter under his breath.

“Why did you have to be in my dream?” Atem replied, the same amount of resentment in his voice.

Yugi glanced back at him in annoyance. “Your dream?! I came to right in the middle of a bird race, fearing I might crash and die, and you have the audacity of telling me this is your dream?”

If Atem could, he would have crossed his arms in defiance, but they were still occupied by the softly glowing pod of life. “How else would you explain this right now?”

The other smirked, but there was nothing playful in that smirk, just irk. “This is most certainly my dream and you’re just the nightmarish part of it.”

The bronze man nodded, letting sarcasm drip into his voice. “Real mature calling me a nightmare. Almost original.”

Yugi swiftly turned back to grab the reins on his sparrow and pulled them to him. “Just shut up and hold on, would you? As much as I don’t care, Ronin told me to make sure that pod was safe, and since it is attached to you, I guess you unfortunately have to stay safe too…”

Yugi did not wait for a reply and guided his mount to take flight. The feeling of weightlessness was much more intense this time. His arm tightened around Yugi’s torso, while the other held on to the flower pod still clinging to him. As much as he did not want to touch the other man, or even enjoy this whole experience, he could not help the liberating feeling that flying gave him. His surroundings were blurred due to their speed, but the wind on his face felt so fresh and surreal at the same time.

“I didn’t know you knew how to ride a bird…” he mumbled, not really expecting an answer.

He felt and heard Yugi huff. “To be honest, me neither, alright. And I don’t know why I do, okay?”

This came as to somewhat strange to Atem. If Yugi was but a fragment of his imagination in his dream, that why did it feel like he was as clueless about this whole thing as he was? Maybe his brain was more affected by this whole intense training day they had just went through… or maybe…?

Suddenly, as they were flying over an area of the forest that seemed completely dead, a flock of crows came out from the wreckage and tried to block their way across. Yugi held on tighter to the reins and guided his sparrow downwards, trying to escape the enemy that had suddenly manifested itself. He dove around a few tree stumps and in between large roots with ease until something or someone shot arrows at them, making them both fall from the bird as they dodged the projectiles. Fortunately for them, they were not that far up from the ground and managed to land on a pile of dry leaves, softening their fall. They rolled around after the impact and ended up in a small crevice in between rocks.

Atem’s first thought was to check in on the pod in his hands to make sure it was still intact, and to his surprise, it was, not even a scratch had been made on its surface. He felt a bit dizzy from their rushed landing and managed to steady his spinning head after a few seconds. Yugi, not too far from him, looked shaken as well, but still in one piece… to his slight dismay. He stood up, rubbing what appeared to be a sore spot of the side of his head and looked around, his eyes landing on Atem. Actually, his eyes did not land on him, but more of something behind him, and they enlarged.

“Don’t… move,” he said in a steady serious voice.

The hissing and slithering sound behind him made his skin crawl. He held onto the pod tightly and swallowed with difficulty. He could only imagine what type of creature behind him was making that awfully close sound and he could not come up with any type of animal that would not mean them harm at the moment. Yugi still had not move from his spot either, but his eyes were darting back and forth, probably trying to come up with a solution to their predicament. Suddenly, he reached for a rock on the ground, grabbed it and threw it, aiming it for whatever what threatening them behind Atem. The bronze man took this opportunity to roll to the side, out of possible arm’s way, and turn around to face the threat. His blood ran cold.

Atem had never been one to fear things like spiders and snakes, but a giant corn snake had never crossed his path before, and he found himself terrified on the spot. However, there was also a part of him that was worried if both he and Yugi would be able to make it out alive. He did not know why he cared that much, for the shock of an attack would probably jolt him awake and he would be back in his pyjamas in the wooden cabin, but right now, his mind told him to hold on to the possibility that this was actually happening since it felt so real. What bugged him the most about this situation was that, with the pod still secured in his arms, he had little to work with except evade and try to escape.

The rock that Yugi had thrown had hit the snake square on the head, distracting it momentarily from Atem’s presence and forcing him to acknowledge the presence of the tiny leaf soldier instead. The short man had quickly drawn his sword and seemed to be wielding it with an agility that only an experienced fighter could. For a second, Atem mentally rolled his eyes. Of course, perfect Yugi would be able to ride birds and swordfight like a pro while he was stuck acting completely useless, babysitting a flower bud that hung to him like a child to its mother. This annoyed him terribly, but there was also a lingering worry underneath, because Yugi would have to protect them both if they were to make it out of there.

And then the snake pounced of the soldier and Atem yelped. Yugi jumped and evaded it, slashing at the scale armour covering the creature’s body. Atem could only take a few steps back as his eyes were glued to the fight happening right under his nose. The snake moved swiftly, but so did Yugi. He was able to jump higher, probably due to this dream environment gravitational pull being different from their own. The bronze man had trouble following the rapid exchange of teeth snapping and sword slashing, but he had to admit that he was impressed by the other man’s prowess in this, even if he would never say it aloud.

“What the hell are you doing standing there? Run!”

Yugi’s voice brought him out of his reflective state and he prompty turned around and tried to climb out of the hole they were both in. The pod made it difficult to climb with only one hand, but he managed to get to higher ground. A pained voice from behind diverted his attention back to his coworker. The snake had managed to land a blow to Yugi, who was currently clinging to a bleeding shoulder, holding the snake at bay with his sword between them. The snake was looking a little battered also, but the danger was still very much present. Atem needed to act quickly, and now. As if understanding this, the pod latched higher on his arm, freeing both of his hands, allowing him to pick a very sharp twig on the ground. He did not need to think twice and aimed for the snake’s eye with the accuracy of an experienced archer. It teared through the soft pupil and the snake recoiled from the impact into his sensitive eye socket.

What he did not expect was for the snake to start trashing, and under the shear size of the creature, the ground started shaking and he fell right back down into the crevice, instantly cradling the pod and protecting it from the impact of their tumbling. He landed hard at the bottom and had the good sense of immediately baking away, no knowing if the enemy would now be on him after his stunt. He opened his eyes, the dust settling around him, and he stopped breathing as the snake’s fangs descended on him rapidly. They stop merely inches from his face and then the head of the snake fell limply to the floor, right in front of his boots, scarce drops of blood splattering on his face. On top of it was Yugi, his sword deeply pierced through the top of the animal’s skull. His breath was coming in short pants, his shirt was now soaked with blood around his injured shoulder, but there was relief in his eyes as the snake gave out a final thud from its tail and then laid dead on the ground.

Atem was breathing faster too, the adrenaline from the fight still coursing through his veins. The pod seemed to sense this and the tendrils grabbing on to him relaxed and gently traced soothing patterns on his forearm. Through the eerie atmosphere of their calm surroundings, both men’s eyes met and their gazes were a mix of too many emotions for one to come through clearly. After a few seconds, Yugi broke the contact and pulled his weapon out of the snake, whipping the thick blood off with a swift wrist movement before sheathing it back into its position on his back. He jumped off the animal and landed right next to him. The finality of the situation finally registered in Atem’s head and he spoke up.

“Holy crap, you just saved me from a snake.”

Yugi looked at him perplexed, and to his even greater surprise, extended a hand to help him up. “Yes, I kind of did, didn’t I?”

He did not know if it was the casual way the other had answered him, or simply the fact that, even though they had just survived this whole thing, his resentment for him was still there on the surface of everything, but he could not help the next words from escaping his mouth. “Why the hell would you risk your life like that? Are you that stupid?”

Yugi’s face fell like he had been given a hard slap across it and he withdrew his hand. “You know, a thank you would have been nice, but I guess I should not expect something as genuine from you.”

He went to the edge of the hole and started climbing his way out without a second look at Atem. Atem almost regretted his comment, but he would not go back on it. He also climbed out of the crevice, but as they both made it out, he noticed the too pale skin on the face of the other and realised that he must have lost more blood than he originally thought. He might still be losing more if they did not do anything about that shoulder wound soon. Yugi sat down, exhausted from the short but steep climb and peeled off the collar of his shirt to take a look at the damage to his body. Atem slowly made his way to him and peeked at the wound. He then looked around and spotted some large dewdrops hanging from the blades of grass.

“Just… hold on for a minute, would you?” he said to Yugi, not expecting any reply.

He took a few steps before gazing down at the pod in his hands. He brought it closer to his face and took a wild guess, addressing a few words to it. “I know this is not ideal, but I need you to let go of me for a second, little pod.”

He went back to Yugi and set the pod down near the other man. As if it had somehow understood him, it let go of his arm, the tendrils softly curling around Yugi’s leg instead. Atem did not even glance at his coworker and set to gather some water from the dewdrops, using a fallen green leaf as a makeshift recipient to collect it. When he felt it was enough, he kneeled down next to the pale man and took off his hoodie. He was not wearing anything as fancy or stand-outish as Yugi, just a pair of baggy cargo shorts, a plain t-shirt and a hoodie, as if he had been dressed to go on a hike or something. He peeled off his t-shirt that had a softer material than the hoodie, before slipping the vest back on. He tore the shirt into a couple of piece before dipping one of them in the water and reaching for Yugi’s shoulder.

“What do you think you’re doing?” the other asked, pulling away.

Atem grasped his arm before he could move it out of his reach, his grip gentle as to not cause any more pain then necessary. “Saying thank you, alright.”

He carefully tore a hole around the wound through the already one made by the snake’s fangs and proceeded to clean the blood to get a better view of what they had to work with. He kept the patting and wiping as soft as he could, but refused to even look at Yugi’s face. It seemed the other had the same idea for his head was angled away from him too. He finally got a good look at the gap in the skin, deep, but not infected. This brought some relief to him. He did not like Yugi, but he did not want him to die on his watch, even if this was just some made-up freaky mind fantasy.

As if on cue, the wound slowly but surely started to close, the skin repairing itself like weaving a new patch where it had been torn. Atem glanced down and noticed the pod between them was glowing brighter and that the tendrils coming from it had latched onto Yugi’s arm, almost fusing with the skin. Amethyst met crimson in surprise as they both realised that the flower bud was healing the wound magically.

“Well, that’s…” Yugi started.

“Interesting?” Atem proposed, shaking his head and breaking their eye contact.

He heard Yugi sighed as saw him flex his fingers linked to his now healing shoulder. “What I still don’t get is how this feels so real,” he said.

“Me too,” the bronze man replied.

The tendrils of the pod slowly retracted and reached out to grad Atem’s wrist, like seeking the warmth they had been used to previously. Yugi stretched his arm and looked at the small white linear scar on his shoulder. “Kind of makes you wonder if this is really just a dream, no?”

Atem picked the pod back into his arms, finding comfort in the mere presence of it against his chest, a slow pulsing sensation resonating with his own beating heart. He stared straight ahead, not knowing where to lay his eyes as he was racking his brain for anything to justify what was happening to not only him, but to Yugi also. “I have no other logical explanation for it.”

He could feel the intensity of Yugi’s eyes on him, but decided not to look back at the other. There was something so unnerving in those amethyst eyes, something he had always resented since their first meeting, and years of working together had not diminished that sentiment. “Okay, but what is it’s not about logic at all?” the paler man demanded.

Atem sighed at his turn. “Really? You want to dwell into what?”

Yugi now seemed annoyed at Atem’s reticence to this whole conversation. “I don’t know, okay! You feel like you’re dreaming, I feel like I’m dreaming, but how can we be dreaming the exact same thing and affecting this reality with the exact same gravity, then?”

Unconsciously, the bronze man started stroking the pod softly to keep himself grounded in the reality they were presently in. “Honestly, I’d rather not talk about this right after we just got attacked by whatever was shooting at us…”

“Don’t forget the giant snake,” Yugi completed.

Atem did not know whether he wanted to laugh or roll his eyes at that addition. “I could NEVER forget the giant snake.”

He stood up and brushed his pants with the hand that was not currently attached to the pod. He hesitated to offer a hand to help Yugi up, but he refrained from doing so. He did not even know why he had thought about it in the first place. Maybe surviving a life-threatening situation together has made his brain go soft for a second there.

“Are you okay to move?” he asked. “We should find a safe spot or maybe try to regroup with Ronin and your ride...”

Yugi pushed himself up from the group, adjusting the harnest on his unwounded shoulder, making sure his sword was sheathed properly to get back on their quest. “Did you just ask about my well-being? Surely, I must have heard wrong.”

Atem let his eyes roll this time, not hiding his irritation. “Trust me, I won’t do it again. But I would rather have you alive right now, since you’re the one conducting the flying mount we need to move around here.”

The pod in his hands started glowing a bit brighter and something shifted inside it. He immediately gazed down at it and watched as the tender petals forming it curled open, the brightness from within them forcing him to close his eyes. When he opened them back a few seconds after, regaining his sense of sight, he noticed something right at the bottom of receptacle, something that should not have been inside of a flower normally. He carefully picked it up, sensing Yugi coming up next to him.

“What is it?” the other whispered.

There in the palm of Atem’s hand now laid a glowing golden metal piece of puzzle, almost ancient looking, its jagged edges lightly weathered from time, emitting a warm heat pulsing against his skin. As Yugi reached for it, Atem sensed a buzzing feeling cursing through his whole body. The paler man’s fingers had barely touched the puzzle piece that everything around him turned to darkness and he found himself falling into emptiness once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Make sure you also follow Yugi on his journey here:  
> [Catalysts for Kindling](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25632514/chapters/62222302)
> 
> My [Tumblr](https://xauroraxborealisx.tumblr.com/)


	3. Novice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 2: College AU

“Hey, are you okay? You kind of space out for a moment, sweetie…”

Atem’s eyes snapped open.

Gone was the forest with the immense trees and the aftermath of a battle.

In front of him was a blonde woman, violet eyes looking at him with curiosity. However, what really woke him up was the fact that she was not wearing a shirt, her breast barely encapsulated within a tight bra, way too close to his face for comfort. He immediately backed away, noticing he had been sitting on a soft bed, making it hard to just move out of the way of the woman.

But he knew those eyes and that hair and that face.

“Mai! Why the hell are you standing half naked in front of me?!”

He felt a panic crawling inside him. They were both in a bedroom, and his cowoker was not completely dressed, and he was on a bed and…

Mai laughed hard, standing straight up and taking a step back, a hand resting on her hip. “Come on, sweetie, it’s nothing that you haven’t seen before!”

Oh God, that just made it worse!

“Besides, you seem to have a lovely pair yourself, not that I’ve ever gotten a look at them!”

Wait, what?!

His eyes quickly darted to his chest, and he suddenly felt even more panicked than he had been a second ago, for right there, right where there should not be, was a pair of decently sized breasts on his chest. His hands automatically went to them and he did not know whether to feel relief or alarm at the fact that something felt very off about them. He let out a very nervous chuckle and stood, heading the door of what seemed to be their shared bedroom. There were two twin beds on opposite sides of the room, two desks with both a laptop and a pile of books and two dressers with different accessories covering them both. He quickly glanced at the wall on top of his own bed and saw a few sports posters, all of them related to basketball.

“Just… I’ll be right back, okay?” he squeaked and ran out of the room.

The corridor outside felt familiar and he realised he must have been inside a dorm building, so probably somewhere on a college campus. What really shocked him was that there seemed to be only girls on his floor and that just made him even more anxious. He spotted a communal bathroom at the end of the corridor and promptly entered, hiding in a toilet stall. The first thing he did was pull up his shirt with a vivid need to verify his suspicions. He was wearing a very fashionable sports bra, but it was filled with two silicone pads, imitating the appearance of breasts. He sighed in relief, and just to be sure, he then pulled on the edge of his shorts and looked down. Once again, he sighed. Everything seemed to be in order down there too. Sure, it seemed to be neatly tucked in, but it was still there.

After taking a deep breath, Atem finally took the time to evaluate the situation. One minute he was standing next to Yugi in a land of tiny people and tall weeds, the next, he was inside a dorm room with Mai, cross-dressing as a girl. That did not make any sense at all. He glanced down to peak at his clothes. He now wore a white t-shirt with the green Domino University Logo, but it was not quite the same. It was the one from their basketball team, the Domino Dragonflies, the… girls’ basketball team. He had on a pair of emerald green drawstring training shorts, long white and green socks that reached his knees and black sneakers. There were black and white checkered sweatbands on his wrists and his fingernails were painted black.

Nail polish? Man, he had gone all out of this thing, it seemed.

He needed to check one more thing, so he carefully open the stall door and glanced at himself in the mirror right across from it. Alright, so it was him, but very different. His hair was in an intricate French braid that miraculous held most of it, except a few blond bangs that had been swept to the side, held together by a hair clip. A simple line of black eyeliner framed his eyes and his lashes seemed longer, probably due to a light use of mascara. The rest of his bronzed skin remained untouched, but there was a slight glint to his lips that was probably a sign of some lip gloss or something.

He gulped. So here he was, clearly pretending to be a girl on the university’s basketball team, but that was all he knew. Something had happened that had shifted his dream and now he was in a totally different situation. And Mai was here too, but she did not seem to know there was something off, unlike Yugi who had seemed completely aware on their predicament in the previous dream he had. Even if he felt really self-conscious and uncomfortable about what he was wearing right now, he could not hide in this bathroom forever and wait for things to happen, so he strutted back to his room, Mai still there waiting for him… or her.

“Are you high or something, Adele? Coach is going to be pissed if you took anything…” the blonde woman said as she entered the room again.

Atem thought for a moment, and tried to adjust his voice and get into this role he had been thrown into. There was surely a logical reason for him to be dressed and pretending to be a girl, so maybe he should just roll with it until he knew what was really going on.

“S-sorry, just a really bad case of cramps. I’m better now.”

Mai laughed and had the decency to finally put on a shirt, the same one he was wearing, making him realise that she was one of the players on the team too. It made sense they were roommates, often players would room together in college. It made him aware of how weird it was to see his coworker in a totally different environment, keeping some aspects of her real-life personality, but with a slight edge making her blend into this new dream reality so well.

“Good, because we have our last practice soon before the big game tomorrow, just in case you forgot since you seem way off today!”

Oh, so this reality expected him to suddenly know how to play basketball and do it well enough to compete? He was in way over his head. He swallowed hard, took a sports bottle from one of the dresser, mirroring Mai’s action, and followed her out, as she continued simple small talk with him, walking towards their practice spot. He kept wondering how he could fake it well enough to not arouse suspicions long enough to understand how to… what? Wake up? Jump to another dream sequence? He still had not wrapped his mind around what was happening to him.

As they neared the gym where practice was to be held, he heard someone calling up to him, well, using what seemed to be his female name. He looked for the source of the voice and spotted Malik, barely hiding behind a tree, trying not to look suspicious, and failing miserably at it. So Malik was here too… was he in the same boat at Atem or simply taking a backseat to this whole thing like Mai? His curiosity got the best of him and he told Mai to go ahead, while he went to talk to the other man.

“Hey… hum friend, Adele, whatever!”

The tone used by the other immediately told him that somehow, Malik was in on his cross-dressing scheme, but that he also seemed to be part of this dream as a character, not as a participant like him. So Atem decided to play along with it, just like he had done with Mai, because once again, it seemed like the reasonable thing to do to get some information around here. He laid a hand on his hip and greeted the blond man.

“Hey. What do you want?”

The man gestured to his posture. “Wow, you have this act down to an art with the whole-“

“Malik,” Atem cut him off before he dived into any other comments he did not need right now.

Malik held a bag on his fingertips towards him and sighed. “I brought what you asked.”

“Hum, thanks,” Atem said while taking the bag away from him. He opened it up and down right blushed at the content. Inside were a couple of bras, both sports and more casual ones, if lace and polka-dots could be considered casual. He closed the bag hurriedly.

Malik snickered at his reaction. “Don’t thank me. I know nothing about this shit. My sister got them for you.”

Atem could only nod through his embarrassment. He was about to just leave it at that when Malik caught his arm as he turned away.

“So how’s the plan going?” he now whispered.

If Atem was waiting for a sign, this was it. Finally some insight into this whole affair! “What plan?”

Malik raised his eyebrows, looking like he feared he had made a mistake. “Are we not aloud to talk about the plan?”

“What plan?” Atem repeated, more insistent this time.

Malik let go of his arm, but kept his tone low enough for just the two of them to hear. “You know, the one where you impersonate a girl to join this university’s basketball team since they won’t let you play on the guy’s one from our own university because they think you’re too short?”

Atem felt the need to facepalm. Who the hell had come up with such a stupid plan to begin with? It seemed he had, but that plan smelled like the worst idea on the planet. He felt both embarrassed and insulted that he had been thrown into this whole thing, but a part of him understood his “past” motivation to show up those who had deemed him to short to even play basketball. This was downright sizing exclusion and, although he did not share his current self’s love of basketball, he could totally relate to the anger he must have felt being thrown aside like that just because of his height. At least, he now understood why he was dressed like a girl, even if he still had a lot of other things to figure out.

“Oh, that plan…” he simply replied.

Malik frowned and pursed his lips. “Is there another plan I’m not aware of?”

Atem sighed and shook his head. “Nope, just the one. It’s complicated enough.”

They parted ways with a quick goodbye, Atem promising to call back as soon as he could to give Malik updates on the plan. Right now, he had to focus on not making a fool of himself at a sports practice at which he was not remotely good. As he rounded the corner of a corridor, he bumped into someone coming from the opposite direction and almost tumbled from the impact.

“Sorry, just very clumsy today…” he mumbled as he sidestepped to let the other pass.

“It’s oka- Holy shit! Atem?!”

He quickly turned around and he did not know whether to be pissed by the fact that someone had yelled his real name or the fact that this someone was actually Yugi. He pulled him into an opening in the wall where there were two water fountains and pushed him against the wall.

“Way to get me in trouble, Yugi!”

The other eyed him quickly from head to toe, his mouth hanging open, probably trying to take in Atem’s current appearance into account.

“Why are you dressed like a girl?” he muttered under his breath. “I mean, more than just dressed like one, you actually really do look like one!”

Atem felt like he wanted to punch Yugi right across the face. “You’re reacting like I chose this! I just ended up here like this, okay!”

There was a flicker of recognition in Yugi’s eyes as they grew a bit wider. “So you remember?”

Atem’s eyes must have mirrored the same emotion as he realised that once again, Yugi was as aware of their situation as he was. And suddenly, this whole dreaming thing sounded less and less plausible to him, even if nothing else logical could easily explain this. He needed some air. And some space.

“I don’t really have time right now,” he mumbled as he stepped away from the other. “It seems I’m already late for practice…”

Yugi crossed his arms against his chest, looking at him with curious interest. “Enlighten me as to why you are going through with this and not just running away?”

That comment filled Atem with annoyance and he spat out his next words. “Because I’m trying to understand what’s going on!”

“Alright, don’t get your knickers in a twist,” Yugi replied before adding smugly, “literally.”

The need to punch Yugi in the face was back, full blast. “That is not funny. At all.”

Yugi was still looking at him with that goddamn smirk painted on his lips, like this was the funniest thing in the world to him. It almost felt cruel to Atem. “You have to admit it’s a little bit funny.”

Atem held his fists next to his thighs, trying very hard not to act upon impulse. Yugi had this unfortunate effect on him, especially when he seemed to have the upper hand on him in this reality. “No.”

Yugi pushed himself off the wall and took a few steps outside the opening into the corridor. “Okay, so we’ll talk after your practice then?”

Atem nodded, now refusing to look at the other completely. “Meet me outside on the bleachers.”

As if he could not resist adding insult to injury, Yugi slowly turned back around to add one more comment. “Not to embarrass you even more, but you do make a pretty decent girl. Dare I say cute?”

That felt like slap across Atem’s face. It heated up in humiliation as he hissed a reply. “Shut up! You may not think about me as cute! Ever!”

He spun around on his heels and walked briskly into the nearby gymnasium where his practice was already starting. He had felt like running, but that would probably only please Yugi to see such a reaction out of him.

To his greatest surprise, this practice thing turned out to be fantastic on his nerves. He had first failed to indulge the idea that maybe, just like Yugi had somehow known how to ride a bird and manipulate a sword in their first weird encounter, he would actually be any good at this basketball thing, and damn if he was. The dribbling, the jogging, the accuracy with which he shot the ball through the hoop time after time, he had loved it all. He let himself enjoy this little slice of happiness, focusing on the plays instead of overthinking everything like he often did. It reminded him of running, one of the very few physical activities he loved to do in the real world, outside of his seldom working out routine. He started to phantom the idea that maybe he should try his hands at another sport back home, if this made him feel so free from his mental barriers.

Practice was soon over, his partners patting him on the back, exchanging high fives, handshakes and hugs which he had denied even though Mai had caught him in a friendly chokehold, congratulating him on his awesome moves during practice and saying that they were going to kick butts tomorrow against Senet University. He found himself enjoying the camaraderie, but in the back of his mind was the nagging thought that Yugi was waiting for him outside. Even if he pushed back the time of their conversation as late as he could, he would still have to go through with it and come back to the reality of their situation. He felt his nerves ending getting raw at the prospect.

“Hey Mutou, came to watch me bounce across that floor, did you?”

Of course, Yugi could not wait outside as he had been told… When Atem turned around to face him, he saw an overbearing brunet from his team draping herself on his traveling companion, her arms wrapped around his neck, but he paid little attention to the girl, and more attention to the fact that Yugi seemed completely uncomfortable with the situation. Oh how the tables had turned. Their eyes met for a brief second, the urgency clearly written in Yugi’s amethyst orbs, but Atem only replied with the smuggest smile he could muster.

“Yeah, Mutou. Did you get a good eyeful?” he teased with all the pleasure in the world.

He watched as Yugi struggled to try and pry the girl away from him as gently and politely as he could, mumbling incoherent words through his embarrassment. “Just... could you… please… I… argh!”

To Atem’s great disappointment, Mai was the one who came to his rescue and pulled the other girl away from him. “Come on girl, leave the poor guy alone would you? Besides, I don’t really think he came to see you…” And with that comment, she briefly glanced at her roommate and winked at him.

Oh no, she did not! Atem’s mouth opened up in shock and he could not find the words or the appropriate gesture to reply to that wink. Mai pushed the other girl away from them, who went back to the rest of the team and she came back to whisper a few things in his ear. “I saw you two right before practice, go get him, cowgirl!”

Great.

Now both he and Yugi were left alone right outside the gymnasium, flushed with annoyance and eerily quiet as they stood feet away from each other, Atem fidgeting with his sports bag hanging from his shoulder and Yugi just completely shaken by this very brief interaction.

“Well, that was awkward,” Yugi mumbled.

“Still is, if you ask me,” he replied with a huff. “Come on, let’s get out of here! Wouldn’t want you getting trampled by anybody else now, would we?”

“Lead the way… Adele!”

Atem cringed at both the use of the female name and the ironic tone in which it was spoken. He fought back the want to lash out at Yugi again, but stopped himself. He would not give Yugi the satisfaction of seeing him rattled by simple words. He needed to get back into that business-like mindset to understand things and his anger would not help him in any way. He turned on his heals and walked outside, not even checking back to make sure the other was following him. Outside, the sun had set, the light breeze doing wonders of the warmth Atem felt after his vigorous practice, but he was reasonable enough to take out from his bag a bomber jacket embroidered with the same team logo on the back. He slipped it on his shoulders and climbed up into the bleachers as they reached them, setting for a spot not too high up, and sat down, crossed-legged. He rattled through his bag, searching for something to satisfy his grumbling stomach that had started acting a few minutes ago. He sighed as the only edible thing he found turned out to be the sports drink inside his bottle. He guessed that would have to do.

An energy bar was thrown down on his lap and he looked up to see Yugi sitting next to him, not too close which he was thankful for, munching on his own snack bar. He stared at him for a second before picking up the bar. “Thanks,” he said, keeping emotions out of his reply.

“I’m not going to let you starve to death. I need you alive if we’re going to figure this out.”

Atem just bit off the end of his snack as a reply and his tastebuds were hit by the sweet and salty taste of caramel. This must have been quite a coincidence, because caramel happened to be one of his favourite flavours, but there was no way Yugi knew that. Why was his mind confusing him like that? Could it just leave him alone to ponder on more important things at the moment, and not how, at this exact second, he did not feel like biting off Yugi’s head for once? He decided to branch out forcefully from his chain of thoughts and focus on their current problematic situation.

“So… how about we start at the beginning, now that giant snakes and invisible archers are not trying to kill us?”

Yugi chuckled as he also took another bit from his excuse of a meal. “Yeah, it’s much safer here,” he started. “I remember we were at that teambuilding seminar, that you were being your usual uptight self and that you could not, for the love of god, choose a freaking movie to watch…”

“Your mere presence was annoying me too much to focus,” Atem snapped back.

Yugi looked like he could not be disturbed by these words right now. “Yeah, keep telling yourself that. Then we argued and…” His eyes lit up and he turned to face Atem. “The TV! Something happened with the TV!”

Atem’s thoughts aligned with the other’s. “I remember that too. The screen started acting weird, there was a high-pitched sound and there was-“

“An eye!” they both said in unison while looking at each other.

Yugi pointed at him. “You saw it too! I can’t put my finger on it right now, but I’ve seen it before.”

“Me too,” Atem said, trying to process the image in his mind.

“And then I woke up strapped to the back of a sparrow, racing down a tree and you know the rest…” Yugi finished.

Atem wanted to know more, had so many other things he needed to discuss, but as if both of cue, they yawned strongly and Atem felt his whole body being taken over by an immense fatigue. This whole ordeal was taking its toll on him. He still had to walk back to the dorms and take a shower before he could even entertain the idea of sleep. His eyes went wide. How was he supposed to take a shower in his grand scheme of all things?

“Shit…” he whispered.

“What?” Yugi prompted.

Atem got up quickly and straddled his bag across his shoulder. “Nothing, just meet me back at the gym tomorrow. We’ll talk more after the game. Right now, I can’t even keep my eyes open correctly.”

Yugi also got up and followed him down the bleachers, catching up with the petite man. “No, you have something on your mind, let it out.”

Atem kept ignoring Yugi’s request for an answer, wanting to be out of there as soon as possible. “I said nothing. I’ll manage, alright!”

He heard the irritation in the other’s voice behind him. “Why are you being so stubborn?!”

He wanted to ignore him, to just run back to his dorm and handle things on his own, but he found himself answering Yugi none the less. “Because this has nothing to do with you, okay! You’re not the one that has to find a way to get a shower while not revealing to your whole dorm that you’re not really a girl!”

Yugi swiftly caught his wrist and pulled him to a stop, Atem slightly jerked back by the strength in the other’s grip. He looked down at their touching skin and, for a moment, he did not know how to react to the contact. As if realising what he had just done, Yugi let go of him quickly, but he sidestepped in front of him to block him from escaping. “Just… let me help out with this. Come back to my dorm, I’ll make sure to clear the way and get you a few minutes to shower. Then, you can go back to your dorm and we never have to talk about it anymore.”

There was no joking in his voice, but Atem could not pick up the right emotion he felt in it. Once again, his mind tried to make sense of his confusion, but he did his best to not let it wander down this path. He did not need this right now. He did not need Yugi to be his nice and helpful self. But the desire to wash away the sweat and the tension from his body got the better of him.

“Okay…”

He must have not said it loud enough, because Yugi tilted his head and frowned.

“I said, okay,” he repeated, more clearly this time.

And to his surprise, Yugi did not offer a snide comment or a smug smile. He simply started walking towards another building, glancing back to verify that Atem was following him. As he said he would, Yugi made sure to get him to the showers mostly unnoticed, lending him a pair of sweatpants, a hoodie and a cap to change into afterwards. He also grabbed one of his own towels for him to use and a fresh bar of soap. He did not waste too much time under the water spray, still aware that even though he was really a boy in the boy’s dorm, he was technically a girl in everyone’s eyes here, but Yugi’s. He got dressed in his provided change of clothes and hid his very recognizable hair under the cap, sneaking back out, seeing Yugi leaning against the wall next to the bathroom door. There was an awkward pause as he handed back the towel and the soap to him.

Yugi simply took them before saying: “Tomorrow?”

“Yeah, tomorrow,” Atem replied.

As he walked back to his dorm, Atem realised he had not even thanked Yugi.

***

He did not know how exactly he managed to fall asleep except for the excuse of pure exhaustion. When he awoke later, it took him a few minutes to realise that he was still in his shared dorm room, with Mai asleep in the other bed. He had hoped that maybe sleeping in this reality would bring him back home, but he realised that that hope was somewhat foolish. He had watched enough sci-fi television shows and movies to know that things did not just happen without a reason if this was what was really happening here. He would also need to figure out eventually why it was all happening.

The morning passed in a blur as he and Mai got ready for the game and headed to the stadium early like all their teammates. Everything was going smoothly, the first half of the game clearly being dominated by their team. Atem had been so focused on the game that he had not notice Yugi’s presence in the audience before quite a while. But what really threw him off his game was when he suddenly spotted something that caught his attention even from across the floor.

On the rack of extra basketballs lined up neatly, one of them stood out for the fact that, as if it had been melted right onto the surface of it, a golden puzzle piece was embezzled in it. He completely missed an easy pass as he saw it and the bouncing ball connected with his temple, sending him to the ground, his head spinning from the impact. The sound of a whistle thrilled in the air and the game paused, Mai and another teammate rushing to him.

“Are you okay? What was that all about?!” the blonde woman asked, worried.

However, Atem could not focus on anything else than what he had just seen. The puzzle piece looked like it was part of the same set as the one he had found in the flower bud in the previous reality. It was not big, he did not even know why his eyes had been drawn to it for it was not glowing like the first one he had laid eyes on, but it was like it had been calling for him. And it seemed he was not the only one who had heard the calling. Yugi was pushing through the couple of people surrounding Atem still seated on the floor and their eyes met.

“The basketballs across the court! There a puzzle piece in one of them!” he said hurriedly as soon as the other was within reach of hearing.

Yugi did not need to be told twice as he headed in that direction, but Atem could not follow him with his eyes in his current position.

“What the hell are you talking about, sweetie?” Mai demanded, looking quite puzzled.

Atem got up with her help and a part of him felt bad for not being able to explain his behaviour to her. She seemed like a really great friend to him in this part of their shifting world, but he felt like he did not have very long with her anymore. He smiled up at her, a hand on her shoulder.

“I guess this is really not my day, huh?” he offered.

“Yeah right, we’re winning this thing mostly because of you. And me. But mostly you,” she replied with her own smile.

Behind her, he noticed Yugi had come back and he was lifting his fingers in between which was sandwich the golden puzzle piece. A dash of sadness tainted his smile. He would not say it out loud, but he would miss this. This easy-going reality filled with sports and hanging amongst friends. Which is why he had to go now before he would start to hesitate.

He took a step back from his blonde friend. “Might as well quit while I’m ahead, right?”

“What do you mean?” Mai was looking at him even more puzzled than before as she saw her stepping away from the court and towards Yugi. “Where are you going?”

“Go win this one. For you and me. But mostly for you.”

And then he turned around completely, grabbing Yugi as he raced outside the gymnasium, focused only on making sure his coworker kept up with his pace. As soon as they were out in the very quiet corridor compared to the loud and busy gym, Atem faced Yugi and looked in his other hand. The puzzle piece nestled in it started to glow. Strange because it had not been glowing before at all.

“Okay, now what?” Yugi vocalized.

Atem slowly reached for the object with nimble fingers. “I don’t really kn-“

His nerves lit up as his finger touched the golden surface of the metal piece and the world once again disappeared around them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Make sure you also follow Yugi on his journey here:  
> [Catalysts for Kindling](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25632514/chapters/62222302)
> 
> My [Tumblr](https://xauroraxborealisx.tumblr.com/)


	4. Nihilism

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 3 - Soulmates AU
> 
> EDIT - IMPORTANT  
> As I write these, I am aware that not everyone reading has seen the tv shows or movies I'm refering to. I try very hard to make it fun for both those who have and those who haven't. I also try very hard to avoid as many spoilers as I can if people ever want to start watching these shows and movies. Please, I ask you to try and not spoil anything either in the comments. I LOVE your comments, keep them coming, just be aware of that small detail <3

Atem slowly opened his eyes, not sure what to expect as he came to, almost expecting the worst as it was awfully quiet around him.

Everything was so… beige?

He was sitting on a beige leather couch, his feet carefully laid on a beige fluffy carpet, surrounded by four beige painted walls. The coffee table was made of light coloured wood, and there were other accessories, but all very pastel and pale, all in close colour tones to one another. The only speck of colour he noticed immediately were the two potted plants as well as words written right in front of him on the opposite wall, a bright emerald green.

_Welcome! Everything is fine._

He barely had the time to register that this looked an awful lot like a waiting room in a clinic when a large wooden door opened to his left and out peaked a very familiar face.

“Atem? Come on in,” Maximilien Pegasus said.

Atem did not really know how to react to the other’s presence. How was one of Kaiba Corporation’s biggest client even here? He shook his head because now was not really the right time to focus on that, but more on gathering information about this new reality that he had suddenly been thrown into like the last time he had touched a puzzle piece. His mind was already trying to process the new elements around as he followed the silver-haired man into a large office. The room definitely had this professional therapist vibe, but kept the same colour palette as the waiting room. Pegasus motioned to a leather chair across a large wooden desk as he himself sat on the other side.

“Hi Atem. I’m Pegasus. How are you today?”

He kept telling himself to just go with the flow as he had done in his basketball life previously and swallowed before answering with a hesitant smile. “I’m okay I guess. Hum, what exactly am I doing here?”

Pegasus brought his hands together on the linear surface of the desk and laced his fingers together. He threw him a welcoming smile. “Right, so you, Atem Sennen, are dead. Your life on Earth has ended and you are now in the next phase of your existence in the universe.”

Atem felt like he was going to faint, but kept holding on to the hope that this was just another reality, not his own reality from home. He was just passing through here, not really knowing how to control it, but he had to keep believing that he was not really, really dead.

“How-how did I die exactly?” he stuttered, trying as best as he could to keep his voice steady.

Pegasus eyed him carefully for a minute and then his smile shifted to something a little bit more weary. “Well, when there’s a very traumatic or embarrassing death, we tend to erase your memory of the event to make the transition easier.”

Atem kept looking at him, needing the explanation even if he would end up regretting it afterwards. He needed to know how exactly he had come to pass. He did not say anything, just kept staring at the man across from him, waiting for him to continue.

The older man raised both eyebrow, quite surprised at his directness it seemed. “Oh, you really want to know then?”

“Yes, please,” Atem simply replied.

Pegasus took a file folder from his desk and perused through it quickly as he started telling him about the events that lead to his timely death.

“Well, you were having a horrible day. You had just been laid off work, you were apparently doing a terrible job lately. Then you decided to walk home, while holding a box of your belongings and bawling your eyes out, thinking this might help you clear your head. Very unusual decision if you ask me, most people prefer to hide their ugly crying from others, you know. Then a huge truck passed by you, splashing the contents of a deep puddle of rainwater and mud all over you. It kind of helped hiding the fact you had been crying, though. Then, because your vision had become blurred from the dirt, you fell into a manhole.”

“That’s how I died?” Atem asked, incredulous.

“Oh no, not yet. You managed to survive that fall miraculously without much of a scratch, but you were then chased by a mischief of rats down the sewers, but somehow managed to evade them and get back to the safety of the street. As soon as you were out of the sewers, you noticed your shoelace was untied and bent to tie it back up. A cyclist past near you in very quick fashion, that surprised you and you stumbled back and hit your head of the corner of a food cart that was notoriously known for selling expired hot dogs. The head wound is what killed you quite surprisingly after all that.”

Atem was completely stunned for a whole minute. This had to be the worst sum of bad luck ever. No one, absolutely no one could die in such a pitiful and unlucky manner. His eyes were still wide open when he moved the topic of conversation along, wanting to erase what he had just heard from his consciousness as soon as he could.

“So what is this place then? The Afterlife? Something else?” he prompted.

Pegasus was back to his bright smiling state. “Well, generally speaking, in the afterlife as you called it, there’s a good place and there’s a bad place.” He waited a few seconds before adding: “You’re in the Good Place, Atem.”

Atem sighed, relieved. If this was indeed what Pegasus had called the Good Place, then he was probably not going to be attacked by anything before finding out more about this place. He briefly wondered if Yugi was here too, but part of him knew that the odds of his coworker traveling along this new reality with him were now higher than he had though after the first transfer.

But, as things started to fall into place in his mind, he could not help but think this all felt so familiar, like in the first reality he had passed through, like a intense impression of deja-vu.

The silver-haired man stood up from behind his desk and extended a hand towards Atem, then pointed at the office door. “Now, let’s take a walk, shall we?”

It took him about another minute to finally pinpoint why the familiarity of all that surrounded him was so present. As Pegasus walked him around his heavenly neighbourhood filled with not one, but four freaking vegan gluten-free bio salad bars, he noticed the similarities between what he was experiencing and that first opening episode from a TV show he had watched months ago. All this needed was for Pegasus to…

“Now, I’ll let you to it. The video of your introduction to the Good Place is about to start. Isn’t this exciting?”

That. That video that Atem had found hilarious as he was watching the show, but now, it completely filled him with dread as he watched a digitalized version of his host explaining how people could get into the Good Place by analyzing every single action they had ever taken down on Earth. The video then went on to explain how, in this place, he would find his soulmate. A soulmate, really? Atem still did not know why his mind was pulling his thoughts into two very different directions: one wanted him to believe in the beauty of the concept of eternal and destined love for it was a very satisfying and fulfilling one, while the other could only gag at the principle that people relied of faith and higher level decisions to dictate their love life.

He was still very much trying to process everything when Pegasus walked back to him and invited him to follow as he would show him his new house in this perfectly crafted neighbourhood. They made it to a small cottage after a few minutes of walking and Atem halted abruptly.

“So wait, this is I live from now on?”

“Oh yes, it’s lovely, isn’t it? Every house in the Good Place is designed to fit your true personality and desires, to make it the happiest place you could ever live in!”

This had to be some sort of twisted joke. The outside of the house itself was quite daunting, looking like someone had decided to barf a rainbow on the whole surface of it. However, the indoor made him want to gag right away. Every room had been painted in a complementing shade of pink, and all the textile he could see was either delicate off-white lace or floral. On the walls were hung dozens of pictures of poodles and pugs, some wearing bows and clothes as if they were little people instead of dogs. In the living room, there was a large bookshelf, but the only books that seem to adorn it had titles that immediately screamed shitty romance. He made his way to the kitchen to try to escape the ugliness surrounding him, but was faced with even more as he eyed the contents of jars lined on the countertop.

“Ah yes, pickled prunes! Your favourite I believe! We made sure you had quite the stock before you arrived! And if you looked in the cupboards, you’ll find an exquisite collection of antique teacups with those golden detailing you like so much!”

Atem was going to throw up.

“Oh, we made sure you had enough company in the bedroom also! Come take a look, we are quite proud of what we managed to achieve for you!”

The excitement in Pegasus’ voice filled him with dread. Was he going to find a bedroom filled with the same poodles as in the pictures, all whining and begging for attention and yapping at every hour of the day and night? As he entered the room, he realised his mind would have never been able to imagine what laid before him.

On the bed covered with again big flower patterned material were way too many fluffy pink throw pillows and a single porcelain doll… while all her dozens other little friends were nestled into a specially-made wooden rack on each wall of the bedroom. There must have been over a hundred of them, all their googly eyes looking at him with their long fake eyelashes and girly style closed, their hair perfectly coiffed or partially hidden under a variety of hats and accessories.

“Oh, let’s not forget!”

Pegasus walked over to what Atem presumed to be a walk-in closet, but he knew things could not be that simple. He hesitated before walking in and regretted it, for it was filled with hundreds of clothing article, but not made for him… made for them, the dolls!

Oh god, he needed to breathe.

A knock on the door interrupted their tour and Atem could not be more grateful about that. He rushed to the door and opened it swiftly, taking a long calming breath before noticing who was on the other.

“Ah, just in time Yugi boy!”

His mind once again played a trick on him, making him hesitate between feeling consolation and annoyance at the sudden appearance once again of Yugi in this reality. He started seeing the pattern after the third time, and it should not have surprised him really that they had managed to end up together again.

“Hi, Atem, I presume?”

He raised an eyebrow at the man before him, not quite understanding why he would be asking for his name since he definitely knew it was him. He had to. The next words that came out of his mouth felt like a punch to the gut.

“I’m Yugi Mutou. I’m your soulmate.”

Now fuc-

“Come on, bring it in! I’m so glad to finally meet you!”

This was not happening, this was not happening… Yugi wrapped his arms around him and held him close, a bright smile covering his face. The physical contact caused an involuntary shiver to run down his spine and he hoped the other had not spotted it. Yugi’s mouth was right next to his ear as he whispered his advice.

“Just play along, follow my lead, okay?” he whispered very low to make absolutely sure Pegasus could not hear him.

He let a wave of relief wash over him because, for a moment back there, he had suddenly felt very alone in his thinking that maybe Yugi would also be just another character in this, that he would not remember their previous encounters. He just nodded, hoping the movement of his head into the other’s shoulder was enough to make him understand he had caught on to what was going on.

A few seconds after, Pegasus excused himself and wished them a happy meeting before exiting the premises. Atem let out a breath he did not know he had been holding that long and, after closing the door on the silver-haired man, he turned around to face Yugi.

“Outside, now, or I’m going to go crazy.”

Yugi followed him without a question through the glass door leading to a small patio and almost bumped into him as he froze on the spot, for right around all the patio, amongst plants and vegetation were set even more dolls, in lieu of garden gnomes he guessed, all as creepy looking at the ones in the bedroom.

“Holy shoe, they’re everywhere! I just can’t…” he muttered. He spun on his heals, not caring at the moment for the fact that Yugi was right inside his personal space. “That’s it! We’re going to your place!”

Yugi’s face fell in an instant. “That is a definite no. If you think your place is bad, mine is worst.”

Atem walked back in the house and motioned to the bedroom before promptly closing the door, trying to get them out of his sight and out of his mind at the same time. “Have you seen the DOLLS in the bedroom?!”

For a few seconds, Atem thought Yugi had lost the ability to speak until he looked at him, dead serious. “Mirrors, Atem. The whole place is covered in mirrors.”

Atem rolled his eyes at him. “How can that be w-“

Yugi cut him, his eyes betraying a good amount of uneasiness and fear. His tone almost wavered. “Not just the walls, everything. The floor, the ceiling, the doors, every possible surface, except for neon green couches and large paintings of eyes hanging here and there, following me everywhere. Not creepy at all.”

Atem suddenly felt pity for him and did not push the issue further. Instead, he just went for the wall and started grabbing as many pictures as he could, dropping them on one of the floral couches. “Okay. Just let me take down a few pictures of puppies then.”

Yugi went into the kitchen and turn on the faucet. He reached into the cabinets, but seemed completely at loss at what he found. “You only have miniscule teacups in here. How am I supposed to just pour myself a glass of water?”

“Don’t ask me, this whole house is a forking nightmare…”

Yugi snickered even if he still looked a bit shaken, making Atem take notice of the fact that they could not swear here. Their inappropriate words were automatically changed into something deemed more acceptable. After filling and emptying his tiny cup a few times, the paler man came back into the living room and took a seat of one of the couches. Atem joined him on the adjacent one, quickly reminded of how this whole situation had started, in a living room, sitting across from each other just like that.

“We’re in a TV show,” he stated out in the open.

“You noticed it too,” Yugi replied, looking at him.

“I actually had a feeling in the first one we stumbled into. I saw that animated movie, can’t remember the title, but I know it was that one,” Atem supplied to complete his thought.

Yugi leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, fingers meeting under his chin. “I know, I’ve seen it too. The last one with you as a cross-dressing basketball player made me think of a romcom movie called She’s the Man.”

Atem’s eyes widen at the revelation. “You watch romcom movies?”

Yugi simply huffed and continued. “I watch movies. Next topic.”

The Egyptian crossed his arms as he rested his head on top of the plush couch cushion, closing his eyes in concentration. “So we’re somehow stuck in this mess like someone is changing the channels on us and we are forced into another movie or TV show…”

He heard the other hum in acknowledgement. “Seems like it. Very illogical and hard to process, but do you have a better explanation?”

Atem used one hand to pinch the bridge of his nose, not believing what he was actually about to admit. “At this point, I’m ready to throw logic out the window as long as I can get back home.”

Yugi’s tone was filled with displeasure. “Yeah, but how are we supposed to do this? We know about the TV from the cabin with the eye on it, but what else?”

The bronzed man finally decided it was an appropriate time to bring his eyes back to Yugi. “The golden puzzle pieces.”

The paler man nodded in understanding. “You’re right. It seems we shift into another channel when we find one, no?”

Atem swiped a hand through his hair in irritation. “The real problem is how do we find them?”

Yugi fell aside onto the couch, shifting so he was laying on his back, his legs propped up and bent at the knees, a hand casually resting on his forehead. “I guess we have to get through with the program until we do.”

The other had half a mind to get into the same comfortable position, but chose to retain his poise. “How many more of these do you think we need? Do you still have the one from the previous shift? I don’t remember having the piece from the first one…”

“Me neither…Wait a second!” Yugi snapped his fingers in realization. “Geez, why didn’t I think about this before? We’ll ask Ryou! Hey Ryou!”

Atem frowned, not getting at all where Yugi was going with this. “Ryou?”

“Yes?” a gentle voice chimed beside them.

Atem almost jumped at the sudden entrance out of thin air of a white haired man he recognized all too well. He stood there in a light blue shirt under a darker blue vest, complete with the same coloured pants. He wore a soft smile on his face, one that Atem was also used to see in their own reality.

“Yeah, Ryou is the Janet here, the informational assistant of the Good Place.”

He realized that this fact did not surprise him as much as it should have. People they knew kept popping in these fictitious channels they were surfing through, but Yugi and him were the only ones affected by the shifts and pushed through the motions.

“This whole ‘I know these people, but really I don’t’ thing is so confusing…” Atem mumbled, shaking his head.

“I have an inkling we’ll have to get use to it,” Yugi replied with a smirk.

With that said, he turned his attention back to Ryou. “If I show you a symbol, can you help me identify it?”

“I most certainly can. My database is filled with useful and useless information, but information none the less,” the assistant replied in a heartbeat.

Yugi got up to fetch a pen and paper and prompty returned, etching the eye symbol both he and Atem had seen briefly on the TV screen before the first shift. “What can you tell me about this, Ryou?” He flipped the drawing so it was right side up for the white haired man.

The words came out like straight from an encyclopedia. “The Eye of Horus, also known as wadjet, is an ancient Egyptian symbol of protection, royal power, and good health.”

Atem’s eyes lit up brightly. “Of course, I’m so stupid. Why didn’t I realize it before?”

“Well, maybe being thrown around different realities can have that effect on people…” Yugi provided.

The assistant, not done with his explanation, continued. “In one myth, when Set and Horus were fighting for the throne after Osiris's death, Set gouged out Horus's left eye. The majority of the eye was restored by either Hathor or Thoth. When Horus's eye was recovered, he offered it to his father, Osiris, in hopes of restoring his life. Hence, the eye of Horus was often used to symbolise sacrifice, healing, restoration, and protection.”

“Thank you, Ryou,” Yugi supplied. “You wouldn’t by any chance have seen something that looked like a golden puzzle piece anywhere around here, right?”

“I most certainly did not,” he replied, his smile still well in place like painted permanently on his face.

“That will all then, Ryou.” As soon as the words were out of Yugi’s mouth, Ryou disappeared in the same enigmatic fashion he has appeared.

Atem had been quietly taking in the exchange, trying to piece the information they had just gathered. “So what? Are we under some sort of Egyptian curse, is that it?”

“You tell me, you’re the expert on the subject.”

Atem snorted, rolling his eyes at the other. “Being Egyptian does not make me an expert of curses and magical jinxes.”

Yugi sighed heavily. “Maybe I should have ask Ryou to stick around…”

As if on cue, Ryou popped right back next to them. “Yes?”

This time, both men almost fell off the couch in surprise. “Holy shoe, you have got to stop doing that!”

“Doing what?” Ryou asked, completely oblivious.

Yugi and Atem just looked at each other, their eyes showing their despair at this whole situation. Yugi dismissed the assistant again, reminding them to mind not to call his name out of the blue again. When he noticed his stomach growling, the paler man offered to take the rest of their conversation elsewhere and get something to eat. Since Atem only found more disgusting things in his fridge, aside from the pickled prunes on the counter, they opted to head into town and grab anything they could find there. As they walked side by side, Atem was very careful to keep what could be seen as a much too big distance between them. When Yugi realised it, he spoke up. “Let’s try not to attract too much attention to ourselves, shall we?”

Atem continued to walk stiffly, his hands in his pockets. “How do we do that? I feel like we both stick like sore thumbs in this pastel neighbourhood…”

Yugi brushed a hand in his hair to show his irk. “You do remember we’re soulmates here, right? So acting like it would be good at this moment, don’t you think?”

Atem abruptly halted his walk. “I will NOT hold your hand.”

Yugi turned around to look at him, both hands thrown in the air in indignation. “I’m not asking you to, jeez! Just try to be less of a jerk for the time we’re in public, that’s all!”

The bronzed man blinked a few times and took a deep breath. “Alright, I’ll try.”

Without another word, they both started walking again, Atem closing a bit of the distance between them, still very uncomfortable with their physical situation, but also the dynamic they had been forced into. They ended up at one of the many salad bars, seemingly the only places still open at that time, to their dismay. They filled their stomach with overtopped greens without much enthusiasm, mostly doing it to feed their bodies, not finding any enjoyment in munching like herbivores. Atem tried his best to indulge in small talk with Yugi, but their conversation felt anything but natural. While the other was mindlessly chewing on his salad, Atem’s mind kept coming back to the fact that, not only was he stuck with Yugi in these shifts, but that he would probably always need his help to get out of here. He would have to _trust_ him if he were to ever go back home it seemed.

And that was definitely not something he was ready or willing to do.

“Is there something on my face?” Yugi voiced.

“What?” Atem let out as he snapped back into the present.

Yugi was idly picking at the greens on his plate, pushing them around, digging for whatever had a little more flavour hiding at the bottom of the dish. “You have been staring at me with this weird freaky glare in your eyes for the past minute, and honestly, it’s quite unnerving…”

Atem cleared his throat and freed Yugi from his intense staring, deciding to also search his plate for anything remotely tasty on it. “Yeah, this is just a lot to take in.”

They went back to the tense silence that filled most of their interactions until both had had enough of their food and left the restaurant. As they were walking past the fountain situated in the middle of the square where most shops were lined up, Yugi finally spoke up again.

“You know, you keep talking and acting like you’re the only one in this situation and I-“ he stopped mid-sentence.

Atem bumped into him as he dived in front of him and his hand went straight into the fountain water, fishing something out of it as if it was the most important thing in the world right now. When his wet hand came back up, Atem realised it was indeed, for in it was now one of the golden puzzle piece that were linked to this whole situation they were stuck into. He reached out to the piece, but his fingers halted right before actually touching it.

“What are you afraid of? That it will bite you?” Yugi teased.

“No, it’s just… the shift usually happens when we both touch it.”

He did not know why it mattered, he should have just activated their transition, but he could not. He hated it, but that last thing Yugi had said about him acting as a selfish person in their situation had struck a nerve. Defiantly pushing that confusing thought to the confines of his mind, he let his fingers curl around the top of the puzzle piece Yugi was currently holding between his fingers.

Nothing happened.

“It glowed,” Yugi stated while Atem raised an eyebrow. “The last time the change happened, the piece was glowing or was I just imagining it?”

The Egyptian nodded his approval at the keen observation. “No, you’re right. What now then?”

Yugi shrugged, eyeing the trinket one last time before putting it into the front pocket of his jeans. “We wait for it to glow, try to activate it somehow, I don’t know. Honestly, my brain is mush and I’m tired,” he finished with a half-hearted chuckle.

Atem just nodded absentmindedly again, mentally agreeing. “Want to meet back tomorrow morning then?”

If he had not been looking at Yugi, he would have probably missed the slight panic that passed on the other’s face. “Can I… Can I crash on your couch? I really don’t want to go back to Mirror Hell…”

“Fine,” Atem accepted although reluctantly. He would not be cruel and make Yugi suffer like that, even if part of him still wanted to. A part of him that was slowly getting smaller, but he would not think about that now. “But I’m taking the biggest one. I’m not sleeping in that creepy bedroom either.”

When they arrived at his place, Atem ventured in the bedroom and returned as quickly as he could with pillows and blankets, closing the double doors to hide away the hideous and disturbing dolls from their view. Yugi was sitting on the shorter couch, staring into an unseen distance, his eyes unfocused as he asked something that Atem sensed was bugging him. “Don’t you find it kind of weird that this universe has pitted us as soulmates?”

Atem raised an eyebrow at the supposed implication. “No, not knowing what I know about this TV show. I mean, it actually makes sense. We can barely tolerate one another, making us the perfect opposite of soulmates."

The purple-haired man shifted his eyes his way, confusion filling them. “Did you watch it until the end?”

The other sighed, irritation lacing his words. “Just one season, but how is that relevant?”

For a few seconds, there was an awkward pause and the silence felt heavy in the air. “Nevermind,” Yugi murmured as he turned his gaze away from him.

“Yugi?” Atem said, his voiced filled with a twinge of hope.

“What?” the other replied, his voice as distant as his gaze.

“The puzzle piece. I think it’s glowing in your pocket.”

Yugi promptly came back into focus and reached for the object in his pocket. It was now emitting a soft warm glow, like embers from a campfire.

“So that’s it? No wild snake attack, no basketball tournament, just getting through an awful meal? I don’t get it…” the seated man pondered as he observed the piece in his hand.

Atem came and took a seat next to him on the couch, noticing but choosing to ignore how close he had actually sat next to the other. “I don’t know either. Guess we can’t all figure it out in one go.” He let out a humourless chuckle. “Someone must be having a blast at our expense.”

Yugi turned to look at him, and when their eyes met, he saw a mix of resignation and something else he could not quite pick up on.

“Ready to go then?” he heard the other speak up.

Atem gave a firm nod and angled his body so they could face each other as they engage the motion. “I’ll probably regret it, but yeah. See you on the other side, I guess?”

“I guess…” came the whisper from his forced traveling companion.

For a very brief moment, it seemed to him that Yugi wanted to add something, but the other then shook his head, and made the puzzle piece touch his nervous fingers and they shifted again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Make sure you also follow Yugi on his journey here:  
> [Catalysts for Kindling](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25632514/chapters/62222302)
> 
> My [Tumblr](https://xauroraxborealisx.tumblr.com/)


	5. Nefarious

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 4: Angels/Demons
> 
> Warning: Very mild spoiler for season 1 of Lucifer. Yup, I went there ;)
> 
> And please try to avoid spoilers in your comments, just in case!

Atem really did not want to open his eyes at the moment, as he felt the plush of a comfortable mattress and pillow under him. However, the morning rays of sunshine filtering through the not quite completely closed curtains forced him to shift to avoid them and he blinked the sleepiness out of his eyes.

He sighed in relief.

He was in a bedroom and he could notice a few good points about his current situation. One, he was alone and it did seem like a good thing at this point. Two, there was no sign of immediate danger so the fluttering feeling of anxiety that accompanied his shifts was slowly dying in his gut. Three, maybe this reality would prove to be as easy going as the previous one, if you count that very disturbing house as a whole out of the equation.

As much as he wanted to just get some more sleep into him, he knew he had to find as many information about the place he was currently stuck in, and, eventually, he also would have to find Yugi wherever he was, so they could continue on their quest through the TV guide. He got up and walked around the bedroom first, noticing a badge and a gun in his night table. He nodded. So Detective Sennen it would be here. Not too shabby. There was also a phone that, as if on cue, buzzed as soon as he took it. The name on the screen completely woke him up from his still groggy state. He picked up nonetheless.

“Hey, I just dropped Mokuba at school, want to meet up at the station to talk about that new case of yours?”

That was nowhere near the usual clipped, cordial and cold tone his boss would use with him. It almost threw him off entirely.

“Atem, you there?”

“Yeah…” he quickly replied. “Yeah, sure Kaiba.”

“Are you sure you’re okay? Is there anything going one? You never call me by my last name.”

Atem pinched the bridge of his nose. This was going to be weird for sure. “Everything’s fine, I just woke up, sorry. I’ll meet you there, Seto,” he said, the last word feeling very foreign on his tongue.

They both hung up and Atem decided he definitely needed a shower if he was going to have casual conversation with his usually overbearing boss. He had almost made it to the bathroom of the house when he halted promptly, his eyes landing on a picture on the wall. In the frame were three people, him, Kaiba and a younger version of Mokuba, Kaiba’s brother, all smiling, like… a happy family.

Holy cow, where had he landed?!

He looked around the house, searching for other clues, and was a bit relief to find that everything seemed to belong to only him (so Kaiba was not sharing this place with him) and probably Mokuba since there was a children’s bedroom next to his. Even though this whole setting felt eerily familiar, he could not quite put his finger on anything that could help him identify where he was. The phone still in his hands buzzed again and he lifted it up to verify the caller ID. His stomach did a flip, but he could not quite make out why. There was only a very short name on the screen: Yami.

A suave voice with a heavy British accent sounded as soon as he opened up the line. “Detective Sennen, what a lovely morning, wouldn’t you agree?”

It seemed Yugi had found him before he had even started looking for the other then. A tiny voice inside him told him that maybe he was just acting a part because someone was listening to his conversation, but the other one also wondered if he was doing this to simply annoy him as always. “Jesus, Yugi, what are you playing it?”

“I’d avoid using such vocabulary around me, dear. Not very keen on it, you know. Seeing as I woke up surrounded by 3 naked Brittanies in a loft above my bar…”

Oh no.

No.

It was way too early in the morning to be dealing with the Devil.

***

As soon as he recognized in which tv show they seem to be, Atem had quickly texted Kaiba that he had an errand to attend to, and after taking that now even more needed shower, he drove to the Lux, going inside the dark bar, where two men were already at the bar, one drinking, the other cleaning up glasses. He recognized Yugi straight away from his unmistakable hair even though his back was turned his way, but he almost tripped when he noticed who mas manning the bar.

Now that was something else. He was used to seeing Jou wearing jeans and t-shirts most of the time around the office, but what he was sporting now, he would have never even phantom the other to ever wear. His legs were wrapped in dark red leather pants that seemed painted on. His upper body was dressed with a simple, but very tight and almost see-through black t-shirt, but what really completed the look was the river of necklaces and chains adorning his neck, a very generous flow of black, silver and ruby glistening in the low light of the bar. His wrists were bare, but there was a multitude of rings on his fingers, and Atem caught himself thinking that they were probably there for more than just show. His blond hair had been pulled up in a neat ponytail, only a few strands deliberately freed framing his face, his eyes decorated with dark liner and crimson glittering eyeshadow.

“Your annoying lapdog is here,” he spoke up in an uncharacteristic condescending tone, before leaving the bar to go anywhere but near Atem.

He was still in chock from Jou’s current appareance that when Yugi swiveled around, Atem took the few steps separating them to digest this other change too. Normally, around work, not that he would really care to notice, Yugi would wear shirts with vest in a fashionable colour match and jeans mostly. He sometimes went for colourful combinations, and other days, he preferred a more subdued look with a bit more black. He always accessorized with chokers and leather bands around his wrists, like a trademark.

The Yugi currently seated at the bar in front of him was very different from what he knew back home. He was oozing confidence and charisma in a dark plum button up under a black jacket that matched a pair of sleek black trousers. Even his shoes seemed more expensive than everything that Atem has perused through his own closet that morning. His eyes were lined with a thicker eyeliner than what he was used to wearing, making his eyes pop out even more if that was possible. There was a thin chocker around his neck, classier than the ones he had seen the other wear around the office. In his hand was a glass of amber liquid and Yugi took a quick sip before smiling brightly at him.

“Detective Sennen! Well, don’t you look swell!”

Atem bit his lip and closed his eyes in annoyance, trying very hard to bite back his comment. He did not look swell, not compared to the two men in his presence. He had put on a pair of jeans tucked in biker boots, a thin relaxed loose knit grey sweater and the only jacket he had found, a simple black leather one. He had decided to tie his hair back casually, not really wanting to do anything else with it when he was done with his shower.

“Your accent is ridiculous…” he spat out.

Yugi was still wearing that smug smile when he answered. “Oh come on lad, better to have a bit of fun while we’re at it, don’t you think?”

He finally took a seat on the stool next to his devilish coworker. “Hence why you are already drinking at 9 in the morning?”

The paler man took another swig of alcohol. “It’s 5 o’clock somewhere in the world.”

Atem briskly took the glass from Yugi’s hand, putting it down on the bar away from arm’s length, the glass clicking against the expensive countertop. “Cut it out, would you!”

Yugi sighed and finally, his demeanour seemed to tone down a notch. “Alright, I’ll give it a rest… But I’m keeping the accent,” Yugi accepted in a defeated manner. His eyes darted to the center of the room, distracted. “I wonder if I can play the piano…”

“You are unbelievable! Focus here!”

“And what exactly do you want me to focus on?” he snapped in a low whisper, the British accent now completely dropped. “Do I need to remind you that I woke up naked, surrounded by 3 other very naked bodies, and realised that I was the Devil? Honestly, I’m still trying to process it, okay?”

Jou slithered back into their periphery, an arm wrapping around Yugi’s shoulder in a seductive but mostly protective manner. He spoke to his boss, but his eyes were shooting daggers at Atem. “You know Yami, I don’t know why you keep him around on a leash like that. He is cute, but you could do much better. I could just kick his ass to the curb and be done with all that ridiculousness…”

Something akin to a very light blush appeared on Yugi’s cheeks, probably due to the fact that his best friend was so sensual in his approach to everything right now. He reached for his glass and finished his drink in one large gulp. The smile was back on his face now. “Oh Jou, it is so endearing how much you care about my well-being, but I will be fine, I assure you. The good detective came here because he needed help on a case, and, because I am in a very giving mood, I shall oblige.”

Atem had to give it to Yugi: he was an amazing actor. And that only served to reinforce what he had been thinking even before their adventure began; if Yugi was this good at acting in these realities, didn’t that just mean he was as good in their own, playing the fake happy-go-lucky ray of sunshine he always did? He did not know why, but that suddenly left a very sour taste in his mouth. The very tiny progress that he had thought he had made in his chain of thoughts about the other slapped back like a tight elastic, and he realised he might as well be back to square one… or zero in their case.

Jou’s snarky voice brought him back to their conversation. “Hum. Go ahead and take him out on a walk then.”

Atem did not need to be told twice as he got up from his stool and headed out the bar, Yugi hopefully following behind him as he did not bother to check up on that fact. He made it to his car, opened the door a little too forcefully and sat down, encasing himself in his vehicule, hesitating between the need to sigh very loudly or scream at the top of his lungs. The passenger door opened and Yugi swiftly sank into the seat next to him. He waited for a reply, one dripping with sarcasm or any other irritating tone, but it never came. Instead, when he looked up at this poised version of his coworker, he found worry and hesitation in his eyes. However, it quickly dissipated as if Yugi felt the need to hide it right away. A smirk started forming on his lips, but Atem chose this moment to finally speak up.

“Drop the act! We need to think!” he barked.

Yugi sighed and gone was the suave Devil, the original man piercing through. “Okay so here’s what I think: you have to stop fighting what’s happening. The more we try to go against this, the longer we’ll stay stuck. We have to play the part we are given in each universe to eventually get to the next one.”

Atem could not resist the mean poke that came out of his mouth. “Is that what you are doing, acting? Like you do at home too?”

The look of Yugi’s face told him that a slap across it would probably have hurt less than what he had said. His features immediately hardened. “Well, fuck you too, Atem!”

Yugi’s hand reached for the door handle, but Atem promptly hit the lock button on his side of the door. Instinctively, his fingers curled around the other’s expensive jacket and held his arm in place. “Yugi, I’m…” he started, but found himself unable to continue his sentence.

The tension in the car was thick enough even a very sharp knife might have had trouble cutting through it. The seconds felt like hours before Yugi let go of the handle and took a very deep breath in. “You’re lucky I decided not to go all demonic on you… And frankly, you would have probably deserved it.”

Atem let go of Yugi’s arm. “Noted. Let’s just focus on right now, okay?” He decided it was not the best time to pursue on their previous topic of conversation. He honestly did not know if there would ever be a good time for it, but he did not want to think about it at the moment. He took a steadier breath and reflected upon their current problem. “Now that you mention it, I believe we also gain some form of ability from each character we play. You rode a bird and fought a snake, I was a pretty good basketball player.”

Yugi’s smile was back now, and he used humour to defuse the strain between them, something he seemed to do quite often. “And I have this ability to get into a British accent flawlessly.”

Atem felt somewhat relieved at that, and decided to just go with it. “Probably should also mention that you are the Devil with everything that entails.”

Yugi nodded. “Could prove useful, you know.”

Atem’s phone beeped and he scanned the couple of text messages he had received from Kaiba. He frowned again at the whole casual aspect of his exchange with his boss, but a part of him reminded him of what Yugi had said earlier. Play the part, just play the part.

“Yeah, well you could try it on this suspect I apparently have to interrogate…” he offered, putting his phone in his pocket.

The other man proceeded to latch his seatbelt. “Then how about you drive us there? This must be an intriguing case to solve as always.”

The Egyptian started the car and realised this was as good a time as any to divulge the information he had came upon that morning too. “Yeah, just… There are other people we know here too.”

Yugi eyed him suspicious from his side of the car, as they headed down the street, an address blinking on the GPS on the dashboard. “I’m guessing from the discomfort of your face that one of them is your ex in the universe? Please, enlighten me with the delightful details!”

The bronzed man hesitated a few seconds before finally answering. “It would appear that Kaiba and I were a thing… and that we adopted Mokuba.”

The paler man let out a rich and honest laugh. “Oh dear, that is bloody hilarious! You and the almighty boss!”

Atem raised an annoyed eyebrow, glancing sideways at his passenger. “Why are sticking with the accent when it’s just the two of us in the car?!”

He immediately pushed back the way his stomach slightly twisted when the other replied with a smug grin. “Why, to annoy you of course! Isn’t that my job here and everywhere else?”

***

After interrogating the suspect, they drove back in town, set on meeting up with “Yami”’s psychiatrist who could probably give them more insight on the suspect’s motive. Atem would be lying if he said he had not been impressed by the way Yugi had used his power of seduction and persuasion when he had stared down at their interlocutor and whispered that one particular sentence: “What is it that you truly desire?” She had downright confessed her most intimate wants to him like it was the most natural thing in the world. He had used a lot of his self-control to fight back the shiver that had crawled up his spine. He had to admit to himself that Yugi truly did know how to play that part really well, and that he seemed to be enjoying himself a little bit too much, but he would leave it at that. He briefly pondered taking a page from Yugi’s book and let go a little more, but maybe this was also not the right place to do it. They took the elevator and walked passed a couple of doors before both stopping dead in their tracks.

“Bloody hell…” Yugi muttered, still using that enticing accent.

And Atem fought back the urge to flat out laugh at the hilarity of what was about to happen to them. For on a small metal plate next to the door was engraved a name that they both recognized: Rebecca Hopkins… who also happened to be Yugi’s technical assistant from their reality, a little feisty woman who had probably harbored a crush on her boss if the constant teasing from their other coworkers was any indication. He opened the door, barely letting this new fact sink into Yugi and greeted the doctor waiting for them.

A blonde woman with round glasses was settled in a loveseat across a longer couch on which they both took place. “Detective Sennen, Yami. Glad you called to make an appointment at a decent hour this time.”

The mischievous glint in her eyes towards Yugi did not go unnoticed by Atem who found himself quite amused at that. “Thanks for seeing us on such short notice, Doctor. Have you had the time to check the files that were sent to you this morning for the victim’s office?”

To Rebecca’s credit, she went into a very professional mode on the spot. “Yes, it appears that only one of your victim’s patients might have had anything to do with his death. You told me you spoke to the victim’s wife, is that correct?” Her eyes darted to Yugi for a second as if to keep a fresh image of the handsome man on her mind. Atem felt Yugi stiffen a little next to him.

He answered the doctor’s inquiry. “Yes, we just did actually. It seems she knew about her husband’s affair and was quite distraught about it, but she had mostly planned on… dumping fresh manure on the other woman’s porch.”

The woman’s eyebrows shut up. “Oh, well, that’s one way to deal with it, I guess. So the mistress is off the hook also then?”

Atem surprised himself at how well he was handling this whole interrogation and follow-up person, finding it pretty comfortable to set into. Maybe Yugi had a point about embracing some of the aspects of their trip. “Unfortunately, yes. She was out of town and her alibi checks out.”

“Oh, that reminds me…” Yugi finally decided to add into their exchange. “The wife had a pamphlet about a meet up to commemorate her husband’s death. It was to be held by the man’s assistant, I believe. Should we check it, Detective?”

Atem stood up and thanked Rebecca for a brief but effective follow up on their case. The woman shook hands with both of them, her fingers lingering longer around Yugi’s than necessary. Atem held back a chuckle as he watched Yugi tried to keep his composure and put out that flirty front he acted out, but he definitely could see from the tension in his shoulders that he was suddenly not as keen about his character’s sexual potential as he had lead him to believe. He did not say a word about it until they reached the elevator.

“Is that an awkward expression I see on your face?” he snickered.

Yugi shook his head, dropping the accent for a moment. “How could I not feel awkward about what just happened?”

Atem’s smile was still brightening his face. It was his turn to have fun at the other’s expense, it seems. “You mean the fact that your real-life assistant was hitting on you so blatantly?”

Yugi frowned at him. “Need I remind you it is implied that we slept together?!”

Atem crossed his arms, still very much amused. “Well, aren’t you the promiscuous one here? First, the Brittanies, now Rebecca…”

It took a few seconds for Yugi to reply, but his tone had changed when he did. “What can I say? I’m so full of charm, how can they resist?”

The Egyptian’s smile dropped at once. “I’m both impressed and terribly annoyed at your ability to turn this around so easily…”

And it was back to Yugi having the upper hand. The ride to the memorial was quiet, but tense, just a short relief from all their previous conversations. Atem noticed Yugi quickly sending a text message before pocketing his phone. He did not feel like asking about it, and took a sip of the now cold coffee they had stopped for this morning on their way. He thought back about the few minutes of bliss he had allowed himself to have earlier as he laid in bed, not knowing about his current situation, but also not caring for once. This whole traveling through channels thing might have been just beginning for all he knew, and his brain was already a pile of mush about it. They had just parked when his own phone rang and he looked at the caller ID, Yugi peaking over his shoulder.

“Oh, the old lover! Don’t mind me, I’ll go pay my respect to the good doctor while you chitchat with Detective Douche!”

Yugi did not even wait for an answer as he climbed out of the car and left Atem to deal with this reality’s Kaiba on his own. He picked up the call.

“Hey Seto,” the name still sounded foreign on his tongue.

The voice was amicable on the other end of the line, but worried. “You’ve been dodging my calls and messages all morning, is everything alright?”

Atem sighed, fidgeting with his keys as he tried to impersonate his character to get his point across. “Yeah, I’m just following through on that case with Yu- Yami,” he replied, almost blurting out the wrong name.

He could sense the unease dripping from Kaiba’s tone. “Oh, Yami again. He keeps poking his nose where it doesn’t belong…”

Atem chuckled, hearing the jealousy in his interlocutor’s voice. “At least, he is somewhat useful.”

Once again, resentment filled the other’s answer. “You keep saying that, I have yet to see it.”

A sound he did not think he would ever hear in his life cut into their conversation.

Someone had just fired a gun.

“Shit, gotta go!”

He disconnected the call, dropped the phone on the passenger seat and exited the car as quickly as he could manage. He took out his own weapon from his holster, his fingers curling around the gun naturally. Good, so he knew how to shoot that thing. That realisation brought him relief, as he might need to do so in the near future. He entered the community center where the memorial was supposed to take place and followed the whispered sound of unrest in one the room. When he entered the one at the end of the hallway, he quickly assessed the situation. People were nervously sitting on chairs placed in a circle, some with their hands on their ears and most of them with a panic in their eyes. Yugi/Yami was standing in the middle of the circle, a gun pointed at him from the hand of the dead doctor’s assistant. There were a few crumbs of ceramic on the floor at their feet, probably from the ceiling where the shot seemed to have been previously fired.

“Shut up, you don’t understand!” the assistant shouted.

Yugi did not look one bit rattled by his current predicament, his hands up peaceful as he tried to talk the man down. “I get it, you wanted to bang his wife and he was unfaithful to her, I mean, you had every bloody reason to be angry at him.”

Atem wished Yugi would have just dropped it and decided to take action. “Drop your weapon!” he said, his voice steady and firm as he pointed his own gun on the assistant.

As soon as he spoke up, he noticed the colour draining from Yugi’s face as he glanced his way. “Oh, how I wished you had prolonged that phone conversation and stayed in the car.”

The Egyptian’s emotions were a mix of both his own and his character for a moment. There was a calm unrest, probably emitted from this persona’s police background at facing such situation, but there was also an urgent panic rising from behind that was all him. Someone was aiming a weapon at Yugi. Even if the Devil was technically immortal, that did not mean he wanted his coworker to be on the receiving end of a bullet. “Are you freaking mad? You’re having a gun pointed at yourself and you’re whining about me coming to your rescue?”

For a quick second, Yugi’s amethyst eyes shifted to a demonic fiery red, hiding away a hint of fear. “Atem, get the hell away from me!”

The detective gulped at the harsh hurried tone used on him, but stood his ground, trying to get his understanding of the situation in check. “Why? So you can get shot on my watch?!”

What Yugi said next combined with the alarm in his gaze made the grip on his gun faltered. “No, because you are the one making me vulnerable to wounds!”

Because in that brief lapse of time, Atem could not tell if the words were those of Yami or Yugi.

His mind tried processing that piece of information as quickly as it could, racking his brain as to what his coworker might have been referring to, and then it clicked. Where they were right now, the Devil might have been immortal, but the presence of his own character, the detective, somewhat made him mortal…

Shit!

A red and black blur came crashing on the dumbfounded assistant who had been momentarily caught up in the detective and the Devil’s exchange. The gun was dropped, no other shots fired. The man was soon on the ground after a well-placed kick and swipe under his legs, his arm twisted behind his back, most likely broken at a few places from the sheer force by which it was pinned. Jou had the heel of his boot squeezed on the suspect’s neck and looked up at Yugi with a hint of mischief in his amber eyes.

The situation diffused, Yugi was suddenly back to his suave self. “Hello love, how is it going?”

There was a snap of bones as Jou deliberately broke the man’s wrist and then let him cradle his hand against his chest, crying in pain. He walked to the gun on the ground and picked it up casually, dangling it on his finger. Without looking at him, he held it Atem’s direction, his eyes still on his boss.

“I got your text,” he said to Yugi with a smirk.

Before the man could reply anything, a few other police officers came into the building, Kaiba at the front, ready for action. When he noticed the situation had been handled before their arrival, he turned to Atem, asking him if he was hurt or anything. The bronzed man answered with a negative, but the sarcastic chuckle from Jou caught their attention.

“Oh great, the Chihuahua called his back-up barker.”

Kaiba took a breath to reply, but Atem put his hand on his arm to stop him. He did not need these two to bite each other’s face in this reality like they did at home. What he needed right now, he realised, was a drink, probably a very strong one. There was a moment when he and Yugi looked at each other, unsure of how to handle the rest, and Atem also realised he needed a moment alone in all this. He held his phone and wiggled it, hoping Yugi caught on to the visual signal that he would reach out to him. There was a small shy smile on his lips before he became his character again and left the building with Jou on his toes. Atem accepted to regroup at the station with Kaiba, trying as much as he could to keep an acceptable distance between them, this relationship thing with his boss still a big uncomfortable spot about this tv show reality. He decided to bring home a box of evidence from the case and finish his report with that drink he still had on his mind. He quickly send a text to Yugi, letting him know he just needed to sleep it off until they could get together in the morning. He knew that might not have been their best option, but they had yet to find the puzzle piece and they probably both could use a short break from all this chaos.

As soon as he made it home, he threw his jacket on the kitchen counter and opened up his fridge to salvage a beer and some leftovers from a previous meal. He settled on his couch and opened up the box, his laptop open next to it to type in what needed to be filled out. He took the files out and an evidence bag fell on the floor from in between two folders. His eyes widened as he saw the content. Trapped in the transparent plastic now on the ground was this reality’s golden puzzle piece.

“Well, what do you know, huh?”

There was a knock on his door and he took a quick swig of beer before getting up from his seat to check who was visiting so late during the evening. It came to no surprise that Yugi was on his porch, but it was surprising to see him so drunk he had trouble standing up straight.

“I’m afraid to ask what you’re doing here, when I clearly said I would call you. I thought we could both benefit from a good night sleep…”he opened with an exasperated tone.

Yugi stumbled inside, impressing him by not falling flat on his face. “I couldn’t stand being in that immense loft anymore, it felt so… Big!” he answered, gesturing his words.

Atem closed the door behind him as he watched his coworker, who had completely dropped his devilish persona by now, sprawl out on the couch. “How did you manage to get here as drunk as you are?”

From his point of view of the hall, he could only see Yugi’s hand shot up in the air from his position on the sofa with an air of triumph. “Why, I took an Uber, what do you think?”

He walked around and propped Yugi’s feet off the couch to get himself enough room to sit. This prompted the other to switch his position to a sitting one and he spotted the puzzle piece of the coffee table. “Look at you being so efficient! You found it!”

Atem sighed as he picked it and looked at it, half expecting it to start glowing, but deep down knowing it would not be so easy. “More like it found me, but whatever. Why are you drunk?”

Yugi chuckled and glanced at him, his glazed eyes half-lidded from the alcohol, but also fatigue. “Why are you sober? You solved a case!” he replied.

Atem got stuck in the unfocused amethyst eyes looking at him, and felt a strange unease creep up on him. “Because…” he started, but couldn’t quite find the right words to finish.

He tore his gaze away from the other, taking another long gulp of his beer before. He was about to start off on another topic when Yugi’s head uncharismatically fell down on his lap, bringing a whiff of cologne to his nose. He froze completely. “Yugi, what are you-“

The sleepy whisper from the other caught him off. “Just… for a minute, alright. You’re awfully comfortable.”

The amount of alcohol in his blood as well as the exhaustion this whole thing was putting on them must have been quite effective because it did not take him a full minute to start snoring softly, completely knocked out.

Atem could not bring himself to push him or simply wake him up. He reclined his own head on the top of the back couch cushion, a loud sigh escaping his lips, his fingers still toying idly with the puzzle piece between them. The rhythmic and somewhat comforting sound of Yugi’s even breath started lulling him to sleep and he told himself he could allow this for a few more minutes before he would wake the Devil up.

Just a few minutes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, you've probably started noticing by now that each chapter is loosely based on either a movie or a tv show. I'm using them as inspiration, not copying them exactly, because where would the fun be in that?  
> If I'm using recent media, there will be a spoiler warning at the beginning just in case!  
> Once again, thanks for accompanying me on this journey!
> 
> My [Tumblr](https://xauroraxborealisx.tumblr.com/)


	6. Nomad

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 5: Post-Apocalyptic
> 
> WARNING: This chapter contains violence and some graphic depictions of it.
> 
> So yes, delayed. As mentionned in the first note with the prologue, I will try to produce these chapters at a decent speed, but I want to feel good about what I put out there <3
> 
> Enjoy! :)

Atem did not wake up after a few minutes.

His eyes snapped open and he panicked.

There were so many things to take into account that his senses were overloaded instantly.

He was in a car, no a truck, but not like anything he had even seen before. It looked like someone had ripped different parts from every vehicle laying in a junkyard and put them together to achieve something that could pass for a dashboard. He was in the passenger seat, no seatbelt and no window on his right, letting constant gusts of wind heavy with sand and dust come into the cockpit.

His surroundings were filled with dirty tan and rust colour tones, the desert surrounding them as they were driving on no road at all. But something else was blocking his view and his hands reached up to his face, alarm filling him as he touched and recognized something akin to a sharp metal muzzle covering his mouth and nose. He immediately tried reaching into the back to get it off, but there was a padlock maintaining it firmly in place. He tried pulling at it, grunting in frustration and urgency.

“Here, try this.”

An plate warding file was thrown onto his lap, making him turn his head to the driver in command of their vehicle. It took him a few seconds to recognize her with this altered appearance. His mouth almost gasped out her name, but he refrained from doing so. Maybe he was not supposed to know her name here. Her blonde hair was buzzed into a very short do, but her violet piercing eyes were easily recognizable with that dirty and greasy black stain covering the top of her face. She was wearing tattered clothes covered in dust and rust, just like everything else, and probably blood for the colour and pattern of certain spots. Her right hand, closest to him, was holding a handgun that could possibly shoot him in not even a second. Her other hand was missing, hell, her whole arm was mechanical looking from the elbow to the fingers. Not some fancy technological thing either, more like it had been tinkered to fit the environment.

“Thanks,” he murmured reaching for the file and angled it behind his head to grind the thinner part of the muzzle tied to his face.

He started working on getting free and took the opportunity to continue observing everything around him. He too was wearing clothes that had seen much better days: ripped and badly resewn cargo pants, two different boots that seemed to be miraculous of close sizing, an overused sweater with holes and a collar that could not really be called by that name anymore. Over that, he had a jacket in which had been installed mismatched metal plates, held in place by keyrings and twisted nails. One of his hands was half-covered by a dirty bandage wrapped around the palm. While filing away at the muzzle, he could not help but take in the fact that most of his hair seemed gone also, only about an inch or two remaining, chopped unequally.

The driver, the weird apocalyptic version of Mai in this reality, glanced his way before talking. “So here’s how this is going to be. I made a deal for safe passage across the rift right in front of us. I’m going to need you there, all ears and ready.”

Atem looked at her, finally feeling the muzzle starting to get loose. “Ready for what?”

The woman kept her eyes on the road. “To drive this truck away if things go south. To take them to safety.”

He did not know if it was a good idea to ask, but he absolutely needed to know in order to do what was asked of him. “To take who to safety?”

He saw her frown and purse her lips. “Did the sun burn your head or something? The wives.”

The wives? But they were alone in the truck unless…

“What do you need us to do?” a soft but firm voice came from an opening through a metal hatch a little behind the two seats.

A head of red hair and a pair of green eyes were focused on the driver, but it gave him enough to analyze the profile of the young woman. He had seen photos of her all over Jou’s desk at work and he knew instantly who she was. He observed that she was not wearing a lot of clothing, mostly white, covering her intimate parts, tied together to make it look like a makeshift dress.

“Stay hidden, I’m suppose to be alone for this trade to work out,” Mai spoke up, a quick fond glance at the girl.

The other woman quickly disappeared back into the hole from where she came from, closing the hatch behind her. The rift in front of them was getting close as they drove at a steady speed. Atem gave another stiff tug at the muzzle and it came off at last. He pulled it away from his face and threw it out the window, letting the horrible device out of his sight. Now that this task was done, he could focus more on everything else.

How as he supposed to get information if he could not ask question without sounding totally crazy?

Then it hit him like a ton of brick. Where was Yugi? Was he okay, confused, lost… hurt? This environment seemed immensely hostile and dangerous, and he had to find the other so they could figure things out together like they had done before. He did not even know how they had managed to shift to another reality when all he remembered was dozing off on a couch… with Yugi’s head of his lap.

Yup, not thinking about that now.

“What name should I shout if things get ugly? Mai asked, taking him away from his own reflection.

“Atem,” he answered truthfully, not needing to lie about something as trivial as a name in such a place.

“And remember, get them to safety, anywhere away from Immortan Joe.”

Now that name ultimately rang a bell, but it did not bring him the relief he thought knowing exactly in which movie he was currently playing would. This was bound to be one hell of a ride, a very vicious and violent one. He thought the giant snake had been intense, but it was nothing compared to the dangers they were exposed here. He would have to act fast, find Yugi and get the heck away from here as quickly as they could.

He did not have time to ponder about it any longer as they reached the rift and the truck pulling a large wagon and a pod along came to a stop right in between two sets of cliffs. Mai turned to look at him and gave a firm nod, which he mirrored in the same fashion. He had crouched in between the two seats, hidden from view, as soon as they had made it inside the rift, waiting for the moment when he would maybe have to jump and drive away as fast as he could out of there. Frankly, he did not know if he could do it without Mai at the moment, who seemed to be in control of the situation, opposite of him who barely knew what was going on and how to act upon it.

The blonde woman got off and called out to some hidden traders in the mountains. A few seconds after, one came out riding a motorcycle fashioned in the same way the truck was, disconnected pieces forced together, topped with metal spikes and scraps. The rider was covered in clothing camouflaging him against the deserted background, a helmet, goggles and face scarf completely taking away his identity. When he spoke up, a couple of other riders came out on the ridges of the cliffs.

“You said there might be a few pursuers,” the first rider said, apparently their leader. “What I see are three war clans after you. You have managed to make the Bullet Farmer, the People Eater and Immortan Joe mad. Quite a feat, but not what we agreed on.”

“You get your gasoline, I get out and you blow those rocks to block the way. The deal still stands.”

Atem was impressed by the levelness in Mai’s voice. She clearly knew she had to keep their minds on the goods if they were ever to agree with her and let them pass. Atem may have not noticed as he took in his surroundings at the beginning, but the quietness in the rift made the roarings sounds of vehicles behind them stand out. Very angry people that wanted them dead and needed their human cargo alive were pursuing them. Just how many of those wives had Mai manage to save? He knew why she had done, he remembered that much from the movie, and he agreed that no human should ever have to live like a prisoner, taken advantage of by a man who claimed to be somewhat of a divine prophet in this scorched world. It had pulled at his heartstring momentarily to see that, in this twisted version on the movie he was in, Shizuka had been on the receiving end of that unwanted and non-consented attention, and a part of him was afraid of who else was hidden beneath the cargo bay with her.

Mai was still talking when there was an explosion behind the truck, the passage from which they had entered the rift collapsing on itself. However, things started going to hell after that. He heard Mai yell his name and he jumped from his hiding spot, starting the truck’s motor and swiftly pressed on the gas pedal to get him and his cargo out of there as soon as possible. Mai had disappeared from his view, and he tried not to mind that fact, even if a feeling of dread had risen in his stomach. To his great relief, it did not last long as the blonde woman appeared through the passenger window, swinging in from the bottom of the door, settling next to him. She did not say anything, but took one of the guns on the back seat and started loading it. Atem kept his eyes on the road to avoid the steep rocks along the sides and saw that the rift was not as deep as he had first thought it to be. They would soon be out in the open desert once again, and he hoped that the landslide caused by the earlier explosion had stopped most of their pursuers. He knew there was only a slim chance of that, but his mind decided to hope nonetheless.

“Switch places with me,” Mai demanded as she proceeded to climb over his lap and take the driver’s seat again.

He reacted in a very agile fashion, close to that of a wild feral cat and set his back against the dashboard, his loaded shot-gun aimed through the open window and his eyes glancing at the side-view mirror to spot anyone who would be hot on their tail. The driver had her eyes on the road, but a riffle propped on her mechanical arm, ready to shoot at any moment if need be. They had quickly picked up enough speed to distance some of the riders driving down from the mountain the moment they had noticed that Mai and Atem were driving away with the gasoline they had been promised.

With one swift movement, Mai had reached and opened the hatch to the hiding place. “Come out, we’re going to need a few pairs of hands to help us out here!”

Shizuka’s head was quickly back and she raised herself up from the hole, before turning back and helping out her companions out as they each settled on the worn backseat of the truck, taking deep breaths of barely fresh air that they must have been short on down there. After Shizuka came out three other girls he did not know from their reality, all really beautifully young looking, pampered as much as this reality could allow. They also were dressed all in white, some more covered than others, and two of them had shoes or boots on, while Shizuka and one other had light sandals barely holding on their feet.

He stopped breathing as soon as the redhead pulled the last one of the wives out of the hole. Familiar black, burgundy and blonde hair, falling into soft and frizzy almost curls floated against his face from the harsh wind in the cockpit. The top half of his body was covered with a cropped long sleeve white dirty sweater, his thumbs sticking out of holes not purposely fashioned into it. The collar was nearly falling off one shoulder to the side. His legs were wrapped into what must have been a pair of white pants at one point, but were now torn shorts that barely reached mid-thigh, making them look more like uncomfortable boxers than shorts. He had on unlaced mid-calf brown boots, with no shoelaces in the grommets.

Finally, as he was pulled out of the hatch, his eyes meet with Atem’s and they were filled with such relief that Atem felt it through his core. He did not speak, just took a seat on the booth right behind the passenger seat, but his eyes stayed glued on him. Horror crept into Atem as he realized the implications of Yugi being one of Immortan Joe’s wives, and bile started rising up his throat. He silently prayed that Yugi had woken up in this movie around the same time he did, that he was not back into the Citadel in an even more terrifying situation when he came to. All the other wives were women, which made his presence amongst them alarming, which could only mean he was not used for procreation like the others, but for…

“I’m okay.”

He would never be able to tell what Yugi saw in his eyes that betrayed his inner unrest and that made him reassure him. The tone he had taken to utter these simple words was firm, but sincere. The paler man seemed to know that now was the worst time for them to be having this conversation. They needed to survive in priority, than decide together their course of action. Just the fact that they were reunited at the moment, and both unharmed, was enough for Atem to let his character’s persona take over with a cold and calculating outlook on the situation. Mai needed him to play his part right now as much as he needed to act upon it to get through this.

He heard the whooshing sound before he saw the lance piercing the side door of the truck. His fighting reflexes kicked and boy, were they intensively present indeed. He aimed with impeccable accuracy at the vehicle’s wheels, coming for them from their side, rendering it useless as it barrel wheeled across the desert sand in a spectacular fashion. However, he did not stop there. Other riders armed with chains and lances were soon reaching them, War Boys as he remembered from memory, and were trying to jump on their machine, some succeeding but unable to hang on as Atem shot his bullets on them, aiming to hurt or disable them, but not to kill them. He had a suspicion that was his doing, not his character’s.

“Steady me!” he yelled to anyone who could hear him over the sounds of battle and the cries from the outside.

He climbed on the seat back, crossing his ankles behind the headrest and with a hip motion, he propped himself on the edge of the window, immediately taking care of a few boys running on top of their ride. He felt hands on his feet, making sure he did not fall off, but knew it was mostly for safety matter as he felt his body react with cat-like balance. The noises from the motor explosions, the running engines, the war cries and the shootings were deafening, but his focus was unimpaired. He cleaned up the runaways on their truck and a couple more vehicles on his side before he heard the panicked yells from inside the cockpit.

He swooshed back in agilely and the cause of the uproar was quite evident. A War Boy had gotten in and was trying to strangle Mai with a rusty metal chain around her neck, her mechanical arm still attached to the steering wheel, her gun on her lap and one hand pulling on the chain. He reacted faster than lightning, unlatching one of his feet from the headrest and cranking a heel kick to the face of the assailant. When his boot connected, he though he heard and even felt a crack, but he could not care less. The chain around Mai’s neck loosened automatically and the wives in the backseat, who had been pulling and tugging at the boy to free their saviour, were now dragging his limp body through the window, dropping him from the still running truck.

There was a general sigh of relief from everyone as Mai freed her neck from the chain, the red marks around it deep enough that it would bruise over the neck couple of hours. She took a few deep breaths, but never wavered from her position and task. She however took a second to glance at Atem and her eyes gave a silent thank you. Fortunately for them, it seemed that fewer and fewer vehicles had been able to follow theirs. After a few more minutes, he noticed the motor was heating up and the tires seemed to have trouble grasping at the ground beneath them. The sand was way too soft for them to continue like that, they needed to find higher ground. Suddenly a more refined car drove by them on his side once more and he got ready to take care of them, but he caught sight of something that made him hold his finger against the trigger instead of immediately pulling it.

There were four people in the car: a driver, two shooters and one who seemed to be their leader, shouting gibberish encouragement to his crew. However, he did not care about the people as much as he did about what was dead center on the steering wheel: a glistening golden puzzle piece. He hesitated a second too long to do anything, but it seemed nature had its own agenda and the wheels of the car sank into the soft sands, completely immobilizing it. Atem watched completely helpless the distance grow between them and their way out of here.

His heart sank. His eyes met Yugi’s, his courage faltering at the sight of them and he could not find it in him to confess what he had just witnessed. He hid his emotions behind a reassuring smile.

Not even a couple minutes later, the ground under the wheels changed as they had reach a higher patch of road, more solid than the sand they had been traveling, keeping up a good speed. The world also transformed around them, the harsh sun disappearing over the horizon to make way for what would possibly be a breezy night, a welcomed reprieve from the blistering heat they had been traveling in. Mai slowed their truck down, glancing at him.

“The engine’s too hot, we need to stop before it explodes on us. And the truck could use a few repairs.”

Everyone got off as soon as the vehicle halted and Atem felt great standing on unmoving ground. He stretched a few of his muscles, listening to the eerie silence that had fallen upon them as they were now surrounded by wide-open skies easing into night. As soon as Yugi hit the ground, he joined him, away from the others.

“I told you I was okay, but are you?” he asked, no introduction.

Atem looked at him, a hand going to his hair, reminding him it was mostly gone here. “Yes, a few scratches and bruises, but they seem to be from before I woke up. Please tell me you woke up in that hatch.”

The reply that came eased his troubled mind. “Yes, don’t worry. But how did we shift? I don’t -”

Yugi was about to continue when a lone motor sounded from far away behind them. Everyone also stopped whatever they were doing to listen to the new sound. Mai reached in the cockpit and took a field-glass from under her seat to observe who had managed to keep up with their tracks. Atem could see a lone projector from a distance, like a beacon of white light piercing through the dusk settling.

“Bullet Farmer, they got out quicker than I thought.”

Straight away, Atem turned around to walk the couple of steps separating them. “Was that the last car that tried to reach us?”

“Probably, the others are still way too far and they were the closest. Why?” she pondered.

His lowered his voice to a whisper. “Because they have something I need in their car.”

Mai eyed him suspiciously, but did not ask anymore questions. She put the field-glass back in its place and climbed into the cockpit to grab something else before joining him again. She had in her hands the fanciest weapon Atem had seen aboard their ride: a snipper riffle. She pushed him forward and turned him around to face back the way they drove from, and he obeyed, his senses alert.

“Don’t move,” she said.

For a moment, he thought was sure this was it, that he had said something he should not have and that he was going to get shot for sure. The nerves of steel his character possessed managed to help him maintain his composure. Except that did not happen. He felt the barrel of the riffle laid in the crook of his shoulder and sensed the blonde woman take aim. A single shot was fired, and the bright light coming their way fizzled in sparks before completely disappearing.

“That’s the most I can do for you. I couldn’t risk them getting any closer, they are probably alive and pissed, but they won’t move much without any light in the dark.”

He faced her again and nodded his thanks. It seemed to be enough: Mai was a woman of action here, not words.

“Atem?”

Yugi’s voiced sounded small, and Atem realised that this was probably the first time in their travels when Yugi had felt so useless in his tight and small clothing, probably not used to fighting or handling weapons like he was, and certainly not equipped to face danger at all. With that realization came the fact that he had to do this part alone, and, even if he didn’t know why he thought that way, he could not risk the other’s safety … and that would most probably not please Yugi at all.

He took hold of Yugi’s wrist and pulled him away from their group, who eyed them curiously, probably wondering how the hell they knew each other. That was a lie they could certainly come up with, but he was not worried about that at the moment. He sighed in defeat, and did not look at his coworker as he spoke his next words.

“I have to go. The puzzle piece, I saw it in that car. It’s stuck to the steering wheel.”

Yugi’s tone told him what he had feared would happen. “Awesome, I’m coming with you! Let’s just grab a few things and-“

There was a finality in his own voice that surprised even him. “No.”

Yugi took a step back, frowning with a very unsatisfied flair. “What?”

Atem finally glanced up, his eyes dead serious. “You’re not coming.”

The other let out a breathy humourless chuckle, but his eyes were showing a level of alarm slowly rising. “And why the hell would I not? We’re in this nightmare together and-“

The tanned man’s eyes darted to something behind Yugi, but this one did not notice, as he cut him off again. “Which is exactly why I need you to stay here and wait for me. You are not equipped to deal with this.”

The anger was showing in every fiber of Yugi’s being, mixed in with panic that Atem could only attribute to feeling so helpless in their current situation. “Are you crazy? Do you even hear yourself talking? Like hell I’m going to let you walk away into some freaking wasteland in the dark to face murderous people on your own!”

A large bag was dropped in between them with two guns on top of it. Mai was now standing next to them. “I can’t give you more, we might need them.” She rested a firm hand on Yugi’s shoulder, and her stance told Atem everything he needed to know in an instant. “We’ll wait as long as we can for you, but if more come, we’ll have to go.”

“What the hell do you mean?! I’m no-“ the violet-haired man started, but was once again stopped mid-sentence, as Mai hoisted him up on her shoulder, her mechanical arm encasing his waist tightly, lifting him off the ground easily with brute strength. “What are you doing? Let me go!”

He kept kicking and beating Mai’s back as she started retreating towards the others. The betrayal in his eyes made Atem’s heart clench for a second, and he struggled to push down the current of emotions he was currently feeling. He bent down to retrieve the bag, strapped a gun to his waist and kept the other in his hand, as he then started walking away as steady as he could.

“Atem! You can’t do this to me! You stupid selfish jerk! You’re going to get yourself killed!”

Yugi kept yelling and, the more distance he put between them, the more the cries became desperate instead of angry. “Please, don’t do this! Come back! Please…!”

It should have probably pulled at his heartstring to hear Yugi breaking like that, and he thanked his present persona for the ability to keep his head leveled instead of caving in to the muffled cries he heard behind him. He started jogging to get rid of the last string of regret that made him want to turn around.

***

His footsteps were light on the ground, the sand silencing them as he came closer to what he could hear was the crew of men on the vehicle he had passed before. He knew that if he wanted to come out of this situation alive, he needed to act quickly and without a second thought. He tapped into his persona, trying to push as much of himself under it, except for one thing: he didn’t think he could live with himself if he just killed anyone mercilessly. Self-defense was another thing, but he did not want the death of anyone on his conscience if he could bypass it, even if they were savage criminals who would not pass on the chance to kill him themselves.

He could hear the men arguing, and thanked the floating fog and dust hiding his presence as he neared them as much as he could. He knew they were four of them, and the driver and leader had not looked much up to his fighting level, but he would not forgo their craziness level that could maybe bump their adrenaline and give them an edge.

Everything happened so fast he would not really be able to retell exactly what happened in the next few minutes. He easily took care of the driver, bumping his head against the nearest part of the vehicle, letting him limply fall to the ground. Someone grabbed him from behind, but he managed to threw him off and ram him to the ground, a hand connecting with his temple, knocking him out cold from the impact. There was a few shots fired after that and a bullet grazed a metal plate of his jacket, ricocheting elsewhere. He dodged behind the car to hide and take aim from the side. He shot two times right into his opponents knee caps and once more on the hand that was holding his weapon, pained screams breaking through the air as he dropped to the ground in agony. Another body pounced in Atem from the side, and this time, his crouching position took away his ability to just catapult the other away from him.

He fell unto his back, the man on top of him aiming a right hook straight to his face that he blocked with crossed arms as he then tried to push him off. The other was heavier than he had expected and the thought of just shooting his face off crossed his mind, the sheer violence of it making his falter in his grip. He quickly regained control of his mind and used his gun as a strength bonus to jab his opponent right across the face, the sound of tearing flesh and breaking bones resonating in his ears. Liquid splashed across his face, a mixture of saliva and blood gushing from the wounded face above him, and with a strong hip motion, he was able to get free. He got up and kicked his attacker in the chest, a wheezing noise coming through his mouth before it turned to silence and he was clearly in no state to retaliate.

Atem took a few laboured breaths and went for the steering wheel of the car. The puzzle piece seemed jammed in it, and it was easier for him to just simply grab the wheel in its entity. He then filled the duffle bag with any weapons that were in the car, as well as all the ammunition he could get his hands on. His mind kept reeling about all the violence it had just witnessed over the course of the last few hours, and some caused by him nonetheless. He knew there was a reason behind all the aggression, a need to survive bigger than anything else, but it did not make it any easier to process. A wave of nausea hit him and he heaved out the minor content of his stomach right onto the desert floor. After it subsided, he wiped his mouth and told himself he had to keep moving and regroup with Yugi and the others.

And face Yugi’s wrath, that he was sure of.

The walk back was easier and slightly less stressful that walking into direct trouble. As soon as he could make out the form of the truck, he also noticed Mai standing next to it, a gun pointed directly at him, which she lowered when she recognized him, the tension from her shoulders lifting. He handed her the duffle bag, keeping the steering wheel firmly in his hand. She gave him a rug to clean his face and she motioned to a small platform in between the larger wagon directly attached to the truck.

“Shizuka took him back there. He just couldn’t move and say anything,” she said.

Atem did not want to picture what that had looked like. “Thanks, I’ll go check on him.”

Mai nodded and climbed into the cockpit after throwing the supplies he had brought back with him in the back seat with the other awaiting wives. “We’re going to get moving now that you’re here. Try to get some rest for a few hours, than we’ll switch and you can drive.”

He nodded back and headed to the platform, where he could see two forms huddled up together, more for comfort than for warmth he presumed. Shizuka was seated with her legs crossed, her back resting against the metal wall, her eyes closed in a tentative attempt to sleep. Yugi was curled up in her, his head on her chest, fingers curled around the cloth on her body, but eyes wide open staring into the endless night. His cheeks were streaked with now dried tears, their passage noticeable from the path they had left on the dirt on his face. Atem carefully sat down next to them on the side Yugi was facing. The truck jolted into motion.

“I’m not talking to you,” he heard the soft accusatory whisper.

He swallowed, knowing he totally deserved it. “That’s okay, I’ll do the talking this time.”

Yugi’s gaze was still focused on anything but him as he replied. “If you start by admitting you’re a imbecile asshole with a death wish, than I might listen.”

Wanting to diffuse the tense atmosphere, Atem tried a short retort. “And I thought I was doing the talking.”

The curled up man raised his eyes to him at last, and immediately, they were filled with worry. “Oh my God, is that blood on you? Are you hurt?” He sat straight and a hand reached for the warrior’s face.

He did not know why, probably to reassure the other more than anything, but he allowed the touch. “Yeah, huh, not my blood.”

He could see Yugi’s throat tightening in a difficult swallow. “Did you…?”

He shook his head, the notion that he had not actively killed anybody, even though a part of him told him not to mind about such details, bringing him solace. “No, but I’m pretty sure I broke his nose and a part of his jaw while he bled all over my face…”

The soft hand of his cheek pulled away and Yugi retreated back into the safety of Shizuka’s embrace, who was still sleeping, probably completely exhausted too. His voice was barely audible, but their closeness made him able to hear him. “You could have died.”

Atem finally broke their eye contact and rested his head against the cold metal of the banister behind him, his body shaking from the repetitive movements of the vehicle beneath them. “You don’t know that for sure. I have the skills to survive here.”

Yugi huffed next to him, his tone still wavering between anger and something more pained. “That doesn’t make it any less unreasonable of you to just throw yourself at danger like that.”

The bronzed man tried to keep his mind focused on the importance of his actions, not the feelings behind them. “We needed that puzzle piece, and you know it as well as I do.”

“But you purposely left me behind! That was very shitty of you!” the other snapped.

Atem darted his eyes back to him and the hurt he saw in Yugi’s eyes made his stomach clench. He’d rarely seen an emotion so raw in those amethyst eyes, not that he had ever try to decipher what was really going on behind them. Instant regret pooled inside him. “I know… and I’m sorry.”

There were no tears in the purple eyes, but it might have made things easier if there suddenly were. “Then why did you?”

The answer was on the tip of his tongue far too quickly for his taste. _Because I couldn’t risk you getting hurt._ But he could not bring himself to say it. The way his dislike for the other kept shifting like tidal waves inside him was too confusing for him to admit it. “I… I don’t know,” he said instead.

That answer did not seem to satisfy Yugi at all, but something made him hold back on his line of questioning. He kept quiet as the truck rocked them both while the night sky wrapped around them like a thick blanket. Atem still had the steering wheel in his hand, the puzzle piece still embezzled in it, not one tiny bit of it glowing at all. He frowned and was about to ask Yugi about their last transition from the other tv show when the purple-haired man spoke before him.

“I have a scar.”

The warrior raised an eyebrow at the statement. “From here?”

Yugi weakly shook his head and each of his words then registered abruptly into Atem’s mind. “No. From the snake attack. On my shoulder. It’s still here.”

He sat straighter and watched as Yugi pulled on his shirt collar and exposed that white mark from their first encounter. “When did you…?”

The paler man replaced his clothing. “When I woke up naked with the Brittanies,” he replied.

Atem wanted to be pissed at him, he did, but he felt he had no right to, after the stunt he had just pulled on him. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Yugi could not meet his eyes anymore. “I don’t know, okay. It scared the shit out of me to know that what happens can transcend to another reality in our trip, and I just…”

Something clicked inside his thoughts as he recalled the violent reaction to his sudden departure. “Is that why you panicked earlier? You were afraid that if something happened to me, you’d end up here alone?”

Yugi’s head snapped back and his voice was like a slap in his face. “I was afraid that if something happened to you, you wouldn’t recover from it!”

There it was, the change in his feelings he had not wanted to think about. The realization that, in these last few intense adventures they had shared, his dislike for his coworker had shifted to a more subdued annoyance and, maybe, just a very strong maybe right now, the first baby steps to a tentative friendship. Before the whole thing started, he could have never imagine himself even having a casual conversation with Yugi, and here they were, saving each other’s lives and learning to trust each other, even if really awkwardly. The fear creeping up in the back of his mind was very real at that prospect, but for now, he would make the effort required to put it to rest. For now.

Yugi was still looking at him, his head resting on Shizuka’s chest in their gentle embrace, but his eyes were not as gentle. He could see the storm coming in them, the pools of amethyst brewing to a darker shade of violet. What he did next, Atem never thought he would ever do if anyone had asked him a couple of days ago. He reached a hand and grabbed Yugi’s, having the immediate effect of calming that storm as the purple eyes both widen and soften at the same time. The paler man delicately held tighter, curling his fingers around Atem’s. The gesture might have been simple to an outsider, but to them it was a gigantic step.

“I’ll try to remember that the next time,” Atem finally whispered back.

Yugi let out a light heartfelt chuckle and nothing else. And that was okay, because nothing else was needed at the moment, at least not to Atem.

“Now that you guys are done, do you think I could get back inside with the others?”

Both boys looked at the pair of green eyes now open and glancing between the two of them. Atem let go of Yugi’s hand, a bit reluctantly, he admitted to himself only.

“You were awake?” Yugi stuttered.

Shizuka smiled tenderly and yawned. “I did not understand most of what you talked about. Just that you did talk about it, which is a good thing.”

Yugi lifted to free her from their position and watched her as she stretched her strained neck and back. There was a knowing look in her eyes, like she knew things that she should not, but she seemed somewhat at peace despite their complicated and dangerous situation. She had survived Immortan Joe, she would survive the rest, Yugi was sure. “Go and get some rest,” he suggested.

She had not made a move to get up yet. “Will you still be there when I wake up?”

There was a quick glance between the two boys and heavy hesitation as to what to answer to that direct question. Yugi decided to go for the truth, feeling she deserved it. “We don’t know.”

She simply nodded back with a smile, sad but sincere at the same time.

“Thank you. For everything,” the violet-haired man offered as she moved to head back inside the cockpit.

Atem chipped it, his tone conveying his gratitude to both women. “And thank Mai please. She… is an amazing person.”

“That she is,” the redhead confirmed.

Right before she was out of their sight, she added one last goodbye. “Good luck with whatever is happening with you guys.”

Atem knew she was probably referring to the journey they were on even if she did not have the intricate details about it, but he could not help but make the parallel between that and his and Yugi’s redefinition of their relationship.

There was a soft clicking sound that drew both of their attention to the ground. The puzzle piece had somehow managed to fall from the steering wheel where it had previously been completely stuck to, and a very faint, but slowly brightening glow started shining from it. Atem felt the urge to laugh nervously as he picked it up. Yugi also chuckled next to him.

“I guess it decided our part here was done,” he pondered out loud.

“I guess it did,” the other supplied.

Atem laid the puzzle piece carefully into the palm of him hand and offered it to Yugi. This time, there was no hesitation about what they needed to do, even if there was the lingering worry about where they would end up next. They looked at each other, amethyst and crimson meeting in agreement and, even though it was an anxious one, a small smile appeared on both their face.

“Ready?” Atem asked.

“Ready,” Yugi answered.

And Yugi grabbed his hand, encasing the puzzle piece between their palms, and for the first time, Atem felt as if they were shifting together, and the darkness that swallowed him did not feel as empty anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was inspired by the oh-so-great movie Mad Max: Fury Road.
> 
> So there, the change between them really begins, but don't worry, they still have a long way to go!
> 
> See you soon!
> 
> My [Tumblr](https://xauroraxborealisx.tumblr.com/)


	7. Newborn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 6 - Hospital AU
> 
> So I had a bit of fun with this one, there's a nod to YGOAS just because I can and will pay homage to it somehow hihi! A bit of a reprieve for the boys, but not quite at the same time!
> 
> Enjoy! :)

Someone was gripping at his hand. At first, Atem thought Yugi was still holding in, but the grip turned painful as fingernails dug into the back on his hand and a long painful cry filled his ears.

“Shit, that hurts!” he blurted out.

“You have no right to talk to me about hurt right now!” he heard a female voice snap back at him.

He opened his eyes to a brightly lit white room. Sounds and sensations came rushing in like every time a shift happened. There was a steady beeping coming from his left, music coming from a small speaker on a side table, footsteps and other noises muffled by the closed door of the room and laboured breath coming from the person holding his hands, currently laying in a hospital bed.

When he recognized her and the situation they were in, he almost fainted.

“Anzu?!”

The annoyed blue eyes of another of his coworkers in the human resources department stared back at him. “Yes, I’m still me, last time I checked!”

His own eyes searched for the source of the beeping and it did not reassure him when he found it… or more like them, because they were two sets of heartbeats on the cardiogram next to him. One faster than the other, but the machine seemed to tell him everything was okay. A bead of sweat rolled very slowly from his temple to his chin. His gaze went back to the woman in the bed, wearing a blue hospital gown, bed sheets pulled at the edge of the bed, the bump on her stomach barely concealed by the gown. So here he was, holding the hand of a very pregnant Anzu, alone with her in a hospital room.

“How did this happen?!” he stuttered.

Another pained cried escaped the woman’s lips as she gripped hard on his hand once more and he flinched from the intensity of her strength. She took a few short breaths, probably trying to calm herself down and focus on riding through the contraction taking over her body. After about a minute, she managed to open up her eyes again and glanced at him again with a raised eyebrow.

“Well, I never thought I would have to explain the birds and the bees to you as I’m actually giving birth, but that might distract me from the very intense pain I’m in right now!” she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Atem was way too anxious about anything else that he did not even reply with any of his own, as he would normally do. “No, I mean… am I…?

Anzu’s eyes open wide and she laughed, but her words held irritation. “The father? Are you on something? Did you run out earlier to smoke weed? That would be very uncharacteristic of you, but I wouldn’t put it past you…”

The Egyptian needed to think quickly on his feet and went for a half-truth. “No! I just… I think I’m having this out of body experience right now, and everything is kind of messed up.”

She blinked at him a couple of times before sighing. “You are not making any sense…” she stated. “But, just to be clear, I never even asked you to donate sperm to create my future offspring, so no, you are not the father. No one is. Although I fully expect you to respect the terms of your godfathership with it. This duty has fallen upon you, bestie!”

Atem felt his heartbeat settle inside him as the implications of fatherhood lifted off his shoulders. And suddenly, he was also aware that this was another stop in their journey, just another passing and that he had been somewhat naïve to believe for a few minutes there that this was really happening to him right now. Of course, it was happening, yes, but not in the sense that he would end up fathering a child in reality. He took a deep breath, recentering his focus on his current situation. So he had ended up in a hospital with a pregnant friend, no one seemed to be out to get him as of this moment, and things seemed rather normal, maybe even a little too much, especially after their last endeavour.

He had half hoped that Yugi would have shifted next to him in this reality, thinking that this sliver of truce that had happened in their post-apocalyptic reality would trigger some sort of possibility of it happening. He guessed he was wrong, and he could only hope that he would not find him in another hospital bed, in a coma or dying or badly hurt or-

“Atem? Back in your body yet?”

He came back to her and smiled. “Yeah.” He knew finding Yugi was important, but he also knew that, when they played their part into these tv shows and movies, they had a better chance at finding the puzzle piece they needed to move forward. And now, he needed to be there for the friend who trusted him enough to be at her side while she was giving life to her baby. She held his hand strongly again, and he tried helping her breathing by mimicking a calming breathing motion himself. Once again, after a while, she released her death grip on him and her head fell against the pillow propping her to a half-seated position.

“The nurse said he would be back soon, would you go and check if you see him?” she asked between breaths.

Even though he had no idea about who this nurse was, he realised this might be a good time to actually get a look around and see if he could spot Yugi somewhere. With the sheer dumb luck the other seemed to have, except for their last jump, he probably ended up being the top surgeon of this hospital they were in, the epitome of coolness in such a reality. He briefly considered starting asking around for a doctor Mutou, but since he was in the obstetrics ward right now, he might not find anyone knowing this doctor in particular. He was barely out of the door when someone bumped into him. As luck would have it, he recognized that mope of familiar hair and those purple eyes leveled with his.

“Well, that was easy!” he greeted the other, a surprisingly pleasant wave of soothing relief washing over his anxious mind.

But Yugi had this panicked look in his eyes and the smile starting to form on his face halted. “What’s wrong?” he automatically offered.

Yugi was dressed in light blueish green pants and shirt, clearly indicating his nurse position at the hospital. He grabbed onto both of Atem’s arms and his tone was dead serious. “I know where we are and this is not good. It might not seem it like it right now, but it’s only a matter of time!”

Atem still had no grip on their situation, and tried to remain calm to not add to the other’s alarm. “Calm down, Yugi. Just tell me what’s going on.”

“We’re in _Grey’s Anatomy_!” the paler man blurted out.

The tanned man still could not grasp why his friend seemed so worried about this reality. “Which is a show set in a hospital, so far so good.”

He could feel Yugi started to get annoyed at his lack of understanding. “I know that, but something always happens when you least expect it on that show! ALWAYS! Someone gets shot, there a pile drive accident, a crazy murderer enters the hospital, a doctor goes rogue, anything!”

Atem sighed and he pulled Yugi’s hands away from his arms with his own hands. “I think you are overreacting a bit here…”

The other shook his head vigorously. “I have only watched a few episodes here and there, and there’s never just a quiet day happening in that hospital, trust me!”

Atem could not help but roll his eyes, a bit exasperated at his coworker’s stress. “Alright, just breathe for a minute. We survived _Fury Road_ , we can surely survive this.” He gestured around the both of them. “Afterall, we are in the obstetrics ward of a hospital, pretty safe place to be if you ask me.”

“Gosh, you’re annoyingly too calm right now!” Yugi started, but then his eyes landed on the patient information on the room next to them. “Wait… Mazaki, A. Is that Anzu in there? Having a baby?”

Atem nodded casually. “Yes, as we are speaking.”

The other continued his thought, the start of a frown on his face. “And you just came out of her room.”

The Egyptian was not sure he knew where this questioning was going. “Yes and I also think you might be her nurse…”

Yugi’s frown turned into a raised eyebrow accompanied by a knowing smirk. “Oh, so you and Anzu here…“ he trailed.

Atem’s eyes suddenly widened, a flush of awkwardness gracing his face. “No! Not mine! I am not ready nor equipped psychologically to be a dad! Nope!”

At his reply, the purple-haired man finally seemed to relax enough to laugh at his embarrassment. They were however interrupted by Anzu screaming from inside of the room, a mix of Atem’s name, a well-placed curse word and just plain pain. They both rushed inside the room, Atem going straight to the woman’s side.

A strange blend of relief and anger flashed across her face. “There you are, I need to crush your hand again!” she said as she promptly grabbed his hand and channeled her ache through it.

After a few more seconds, she seemed to come back down with them and her eyes fell on Yugi. She smiled with glee. “Oh great, you found him! I think it’s about time to check the situation down there… My contractions are fewer minutes apart.”

Yugi’s eyes became the size of saucers as he searched for Atem’s gaze in support. He motioned to him, which earned him a curious look from the brunet on the bed. The other man walked the few steps separating them, and Yugi positioned them with their backs to Anzu.

“When she means check the situation down there…” the now nurse whispered.

Atem raised an eyebrow and fought back a smirk trying to catch on his lips. “I think she means exactly what you think.”

It was Yugi’s turn to blush furiously, completely mortified. “I can’t do that! I can’t look at Anzu’s… thingamabob!”

The other could not help but add to that comment. “I actually think you might need to touch it too.”

Yugi closed his eyes and kept shaking his head, like if doing so would magically change what had to be done. “Nope, nope, nope. Not happening! Shit, why does my brain now remind me that I know exactly how to do this procedure?”

Atem put a reassuring hand on Yugi’s shoulder, but his tone held mockery in it. “If I can break a guy’s nose with my fist, you can certainly do… well, that.”

The nurse looked at him in disbelief. “Are you enjoying this?! Do you realise you want me to do that to my childhood friend?”

He had the nerve to reply matter-of-factly. “She’s not your childhood friend here, she’s mine actually it seems.”

Yugi crossed his arms and spat his next words at him. “Oh, that makes it better how?!”

They were once again interrupted in their banter by Anzu. “Not that I don’t find this little squabble you seem to be having a tad amusing, could we come back to the pregnant woman currently in labour in the room please?”

Yugi turned very slowly around and smiled awkwardly. “From the sound of it, your contractions are pretty close. I’ll try to grab the doctor if he’s around to get you started on that pushing!”

As if on cue, Anzu’s face twisted, the definite sign of another contraction coming and Atem held out his hand to her as he approached her. His other hand pushed a few sweaty bangs away from her eyes in a very tender gesture, completely unexpectedly, even to him as it seemed he simply reacted instead of thought about what he was supposed to do. Well, that was surely a change from his constant overthinking… and it felt good to just go with the flow. “You’ve got this.”

There was a clatter next to them, and he saw Yugi pick up a clipboard that he was previously holding. He quickly hid his face behind it and headed for the door, mumbling something about the doctor who was responsible for the brunet, leaving Atem with her.

“How about you tell me the story of how I became the godfather to this little ball of life you are currently spitting out of you as a distraction?” he asked when the pain of her face subsided.

Anzu managed to chuckle before answering. “You mean, how you begged me to let you have that title even before I started to insemination process? How, when I told you I wanted to be a single mother, you almost cried as you squeezed the air out of me?”

Atem graced her with a smirk. “Yet, you still decided to give me that job, huh?”

Another contraction and gripping hand.

“Atem, you handpainted the motifs in the nursery,” she said as her breathing evened out. “You assemble all the furniture to surprise me. You even drove me to my doctor’s appointments. You metaphorically held my hand for nine months. How could I not make you this kid’s godfather?”

Atem was utterly speechless. The Atem Anzu was describing was so far away from what he was in his own reality that it both created a deep ache inside of him, along with a longing to one day have someone he really knew talk about him that way. It resonated within him, and he realised that there was that softer side inside of him, but that it had been buried under a lot of issues a long time ago. He was instantly jealous of this reality’s Atem who probably never had trouble letting it show and he envied this relationship he had with this Anzu here: a friendship so strong that he had done all these things for her without awaiting anything in return, but her presence in his life.

So he smiled back at this Anzu, the most affectionate smile he could muster. “Indeed, how could you not?”

Suddenly, there was a shift in the music coming from the tiny speaker and Atem recognized a song, briefly wondering what it was doing on the playlist that seemed to have been carefully chosen by the brunet to accompany her on her birthing path. Anzu also noticed the song and frowned. “Did you put this here as a joke when I wasn’t looking?”

“Seriously, why would I put _Sexy Back_ on your playlist? I don’t even like th-“

The door to the bedroom opened and, as if everything was all of sudden happening in slow motion, a newcomer with a familiar face walked in, wearing a white doctor jacket, his hair tied back in a high fashionable ponytail, large long ebony bangs framing his face, thick black eyeliners surrounding his emerald green eyes. He smiled brightly, his white teeth almost shinning, while Yugi came into the room right after him. This all seemed almost surreal.

“So Miss Mazaki, I hear you might be ready to push that lovely child out by now?”

Strangely, the song shuffled on its own and it was back to Anzu’s chosen music. Atem bent down closer to her ear. “So, hum, your doctor…” he pondered as quietly as he could.

“Yeah, he’s quite handsome, I guess? I heard the nurses and residents often call him McSexyyyyyyy…” she whispered, the last syllable hitching up and drawing out as she rode another contraction.

It was so weird to see Otogi’s face disappeared between Anzu’s leg to check the state of advancement of her birth canal. He was very professional about it, not even an ounce of his usual overconfident self-peeking through. He explained a few medical steps and continued to encourage the brunet on her labour. Atem’s eyes met Yugi’s right behind the doctor, who still could not bare to look at what was happening on the bed in front of him.

There was a call on the intercom, the command from it made Otogi, and Yugi both look at each other in alarm. The violet-haired man must have known from his character’s background what it meant, and he sent a glance Atem’s way, clearly meaning it as an “ _I told you so_ ”. The doctor quickly stood up from his crouching position and faced the nurse, a grave expression on his face.

“Mutou, I have to go and you know it. I can’t let them handle all this without me! You’re going to have to assist this woman in childbirth…” he dragged out a dramatic pose. “… without me.”

Now, Yugi did not have a very dark complexion to begin, but it seemed to pale even more at those words. Atem did not know whether to be more amused at Otogi’s overly cinematic sentence, or Yugi’s crestfallen expression. The doctor excused himself to the three other people in the room, and as if the command on the intercom had not been enough to enforce Yugi’s prediction about their current situation, everything seemed to erupt around them at the same time. The footsteps in the corridor hurried around, there were sounds of ambulance sirens from the outside, and to make matters even worse, the lights flickered around them and the electricity went out completely. There were scared and anxious voices yelling on the other side of the door, and without all the beeping noises surrounding them, Atem could also hear for the first time the splatter of rain on the window as well as strong thunder roaring.

His eyes met Yugi’s in the darkness only brightened by an emergency light on the far end of the room and he swallowed heavily.

So maybe the other had been right about this show being far from simple and safe.

Anzu had another stronger and longer contraction, her voice filling up the silence in the room.

“Yugi, we’re going to have to do this, you and I. We can’t let Anzu down,” he spoke to the other while hushing the pain away from his friend.

His male coworker seemed to hesitate before resignation flashed across his face and he gave a firm nod. He made quick work of washing his hands, equipping himself with a pair of gloves and kneeled in front of the bed. He took a deep breath and Atem could see him channeling his character, getting into a mind frame where he had to help a woman give birth to a child in less than ideal conditions at the moment, not caring that said woman was his very good friend in another reality somewhere else.

“Okay, Miss Mazaki. The doctor gave his go, we’re going to have to start pushing now and get that beautiful baby out of you. Are you ready?”

The brunet on the bed nodded vigorously, her contractions now closer than ever, making it difficult for her to focus on speaking as they took her breath away. Atem still held up her hand, his other one tracing soothing pattern on her upper back, mimicking her breathing. She yelled louder as Yugi instructed her to push during the next contractions, softly voicing words of encouragements to her, completely transformed into this professional medical employee focused on his job. Sometimes, in between pushes, he would catch Atem’s eyes, and the Egyptian made sure to send a reassuring smile his way every time to let him know he was doing a great job. And the purple eyes would brighten at the small, but meaningful gesture.

“Ahhhhhh why did you let me do this, Atem? I blame you and your enthusiasm for this project!” Anzu yelled at him after a particularly long push.

Atem did not let himself get affected by it. “Is this the moment where I reassure you that you are going to be a great single mother that chose this path for herself, not guided by our society’s absolute need to objectify their women as bringers of life instead of career driven individuals?”

She glanced his way with the fury of a harpy. “Not helping! Not helping at all!”

She could not add anything else as she once again used all her strength to push as her screams mixed with the thunderous weather outside, lightning brightening up the room as it exploded. This whole ritual went one for the next hour, the pushing, screaming, and stormy weather, while Atem kept soothing Anzu and Yugi made sure the work was going as smoothly as it could in their condition. The emergency lighting brought a somewhat relaxing glow into the room, giving Yugi just enough light to see where he needed to see. Eventually, another sound filled their ears, a sharp short crying, and Atem’s breath hitched in his throat from the sudden overflowing admiration in Yugi’s expression.

“Well, Miss Mazaki, you just gave birth to a wonderful baby girl.”

Yugi took care of cleaning the muck from birth off the newborn and cut the umbilical cord gently, his hands never wavering from their task. A bundle of squirming life was soon handled to the proud mother, who carefully took it her arms, eyes teary from joy. She laid her head against Atem’s chest next to her who’s eyes were glued to the little girl who had just arrived in this world. “Hello beautiful,” he whispered to it.

“She is, isn’t she?” Anzu offered back, her finger tracing the edge of that tiny nose.

“And she’s going to be tough just like her mom,” he replied.

When he lifted up his eyes, they instantly went to Yugi, and, in a peace offering, he held up his thumb motioning his achievement of a job well done. He mouthed the words “ _You did it_ ” clearly enough for the other to be able to read them off his lips even in the dim lighting. The other’s hands now free of the gloves and as clean as could be, mimicked the gesture back to him, a smile slowly gracing his own lips. The moment was broken by opening of the door letting Doctor Otogi Ryuji back inside, his white coat crumpled, his face heavy with sweat and work, his breath short. He took in the situation in the room and smiled through his strained expression.

“Well, it seems I needed not worry by putting this all in your hands, Mutou,” he declared.

Yugi turned to face him and Atem could see him falter in his step for a second before he replied. “It was a team effort, Doctor.”

The doctor glanced at his appearance and brushed his hair back, combing his bangs out of the way. “I’ll got get cleaned up and come back to take care of the rest, not that there is much to take care of after that excellent work.”

The movement drew Atem’s attention, and he noticed what had made Yugi react. The good doctor was wearing a long single earring, strange attire for hospital personnel, on which was dangling a lone golden puzzle piece. Quickly, Atem coughed and both other men in the room looked at each other, trying to think as fast as they could on how they would get their hands on this particular trinket. The black haired man was just about to leave the room when Yugi threw his arms around him, entrapping him in a surprise bear hug. Everyone in the room stilled for a second.

“Thank you, Doctor,” the nurse said, slowly releasing the stunned doctor, “for believing in me.”

Otogi cleared his throat, but he was looking at the other with the intensity of an actor playing his role to perfection. “Now, now, no need to get all emotional. This is our job after all.”

He left the room with a very cordial nod, the door closing in on him. Anzu was still very much encompassed in her post-birthing bubble with her baby, and Atem took the opportunity to walk briskly to Yugi’s side, who was still eyeing the door. “Why did you let him go? We need-“ the tanned man asked, almost ready to just walk out the door himself to follow the doctor.

The paler man offered him a very mischievous grin before he held out his hand to him. “Apparently, my hands do not just deliver babies, but grant me some quality sleight of hands ability as well.” He opened up his palm to reveal the stolen earring he had just gotten off the doctor without anyone’s notice.

“You little minx, didn’t know you had it in you,” Atem observed, pretty impressed, although he kept his compliments to himself, not feeling up to sharing them still.

“Well, there’s a lot of things you don’t know about me, is there?” Yugi muttered, his tone half-bitter, half-joking, making Atem frown slightly.

The puzzle piece started emitting its familiar glow against the nurse’s skin, the softness of it barely cutting through the tension that had suddenly inserted itself between both men. He heard Yugi inhaled deeply and then, he lowered his voice to reinstate their goal. “I’ll leave you a few minutes to say goodbye,” he started, a tiny understanding smile of his lips, but his eyes held a sadness in them. He chuckled lightly afterwards almost mechanically. “I would love to wait for you outside, but honestly, I’m afraid something else might happen like a tornado hitting the hospital, so if you don’t mind, I’ll stay inside… just make myself sparse, okay?”

Atem laughed, trying to diffuse the tense atmosphere too, and nodded before walking back to Anzu and the baby. He looked down at the child in her arms a few seconds before speaking. If he waited longer, he might get too caught up in a moment, and they might not have that long. He laid a gentle hand on the baby’s head. “I’ll be back in a moment, alright,” he whispered. “Take care of the little one.”

Anzu glanced up at him briefly and huffed humorously. “Of course, what did you think I would do?”

There was something he needed to know before he left them. “Did you settle on a name yet?”

The woman nodded, her eyes not leaving his. “Yeah, I think it’s always been settled if it turned out to be a girl.”

He snickered at her, waiting and racking his brain for anything that might have been mentioned in their own reality. “Oh really? Then what shall I call her?”

The affection pouring from her eyes gave him his answer at the same time her words did. “Anathea. Like your-“

He finished with her, the words clenching at his throat. “My mother.”

With that, Atem bent down to lay a soft kiss on the top of the little girl’s head. He then pressed his head on top of Anzu’s, mumbling his goodbyes against her hair. “You’re going to be a great mother.” And he was out of the room, followed by Yugi, who uncharacteristically squeezed a reassuring hand on his shoulder before letting go a second after.

“That was an intense pit stop,” he voiced.

Atem took a few seconds to compose himself before slowly letting go of the emotions that transpired in that hospital room. Although this felt real, it was not, but it did not mean it could not affect him. “I think they’re all going to be intense somehow.”

Yugi sidestepped in front of him, searching his gaze. “Are you okay?”

The tanned man halted and his thoughts immediately brought him back to the moment that had transpired between them when they had gotten hold of the puzzle piece. “You?” he countered.

Once again, he could see Yugi batting away his own feelings and going back to his upbeat self. “I just delivered a baby! I’m still in shock I think.”

Atem did not know why, maybe because of what had happened between them in the tattered truck back in the other reality, but he tried pushing the question further. “No, I mean, back there, you just…”

There it was, that tiny glimpse of uncertainty in Yugi’s eyes that kept fleeting away. “I just what?”

Maybe he was not ready to dive into what these pools of amethyst kept hiding from him, from everybody else maybe. “Never mind.”

He felt once again like this between him and Yugi was like a game of cat and mouse, where he did not know who was who really. He briefly wondered why he found himself caring so much after so little time, and decided that if Yugi gave himself the right to hide behind walls, then he should keep his own up until they could both remove a brick from their respective barriers.

“We should go, you know, before the tornado hits,” he prompted using the nurse’s own words.

Yugi smirked, and they were back to threading on safer ground just like that. “Yeah, I mean, what could be next? A trip to space?”

The Egyptian shook his head and chuckled at this. “Let’s not test whoever or whatever is behind this, shall we?”

Yugi was the one offering his hand this time and Atem took it, silently thanking faith for this little reprieve between them, as they shifted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I usually end up writing Mai, and never Anzu, but I think I needed to give her the right space. I think she can kick ass as much as Mai can, and I wanted to showcase her sassy potential!
> 
> Until next time <3
> 
> My [Tumblr](https://xauroraxborealisx.tumblr.com/)


	8. Novelty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, another update!  
> The boys get to enjoy desert and be confused by teenage hormones hitting them back hihi!
> 
> Enjoy!

“Atem, it’s for you!”

He blinked and gone was the darkened hospital hallways, busy with nurses, doctors and patients running around during that intense thunderstorm. Gone was Anzu and baby Anathea, a harsh pull at his heart while they had not really been a real part of his world to begin with. And gone was Yugi, the ever elusive coworker he was forced to travel with in these twisted realities.

Instead, he found himself in a bedroom that clearly belonged to a teenager, a very well organized one that is. He was sitting at a desk where pencils were put away in a neat mason jar and books lined up perfectly on the side. There was no laptop or computer in the room however, making him think for a moment he might be somewhere in a recent past. The posters on the wall were varied, but a lot of them were related to traveling it seemed, with pictures of different places in the world. The bed was covered in dark blue tones, well made as if no one had ever slept in it. There was however a suitcase on top of it, half-filled with clothes that were very generic and, dare he say, bland.

He took the time to quickly look down at what he was wearing. Yup, pretty bland too. A pair of black cargo shorts and a grey t-shirt, no logo or anything on it, just plain grey. He did not mind it that much, it just did not tell him much about who he was supposed to be and where.

The rest of his surroundings were as much of a clue as his clothing was. There was noises from downstairs, but nothing out of the ordinary. Well, he was in a house, two-stories from the view of his bedroom window, and in a suburban neighbourhood from what he noticed. When he turned back to the door, he jumped in surprise.

There in the doorway was a girl, about maybe sixteen, with long black hair and tanned skin, eying him curiously. “I’ve been calling your name three times now. The phone rang, it’s for you. Probably Malik as usual.”

For a second, he just stared at her, and then shook his head and smiled back at her. For all he knew, this was probably a family member, a sister perhaps, and once again, he played along, now knowing this was the best course of action.

“Yeah, I’ll get it, thanks!”

She waited for him to walk back down the stairs. She hooked his arm happily. “Are you done packing yet? I could use some help, you know, to make it less boring…”

Atem was an only child in his reality. It had always been just three of them, him, his mother and father. At the moment, it kind of felt good to have a sibling even if just for a little while. “Sure, just let me see what Malik wants.”

She puffed her cheeks in a very childish manner. “He’s going to take you away from me again, he always does.”

They entered the empty living room where the receiver of a dial-up phone was waiting for him to pick it up. The girl left him alone in the room, heading for what he assumed to be the kitchen from where he now sat on the couch. “Hello?”

“Always the cordial, one? What up, ‘tem?” the voiced on the other end answered.

He recognized Malik’s playful tone and smiled. He realised he had missed his other coworker, their upbeat discussions over lunch and his pretty good listening side as he… He paused in his chain of thought. When he would be back home, he did not think he would ever just waltzed into Malik’s office anymore and rant about how infuriating Yugi was. Mind you, he still was somewhat infuriating, just not the same way he had been back home.

“You off daydreaming again or what?” Malik questioned from his end.

Atem cleared his throat to get his bearings back. “I’m sorry what?”

His friend chuckled. “Yeah, that’s what I thought. I said we’re going shopping before your big trip, I’ll be there in 5.”

Atem smiled at their teenager banter. “Don’t I get a say in this?”

Malik made a popping noise with his mouth. “Nope, or else it gives you time to think about it, and then it complicates everything. See you in 5!”

The Egyptian did not have time to add anything before the line went dead, and he hung up the receiver of the machine on the coffee table. He had not noticed it before, but there was a large mirror on top of a fireplace and when he saw his reflection in it, he almost fumbled. He knew what he was wearing and could tell his body was that of a younger version of him, but he was not as ready as he thought for a trip down memory lane. His features were boyish, his jaw still pretty angular, but on the softer side. His eyes were brighter, not affected by bitterness from his reality, and his hair… well, that was new. Gone were the blond bangs and the crimson highlights. Instead, he sported a well-groomed black haircut of soft short curls. He did not mind it that much, it was just a shocker a first. From the way he was dressed and what he had gathered about his persona here, he would have been surprised if he had kept his wild hair from his own reality.

He walked back to the kitchen to find who he assumed to be his sister, but she was nowhere to be found. Since he had told her he would help her pack, he went back upstairs and found her in her bedroom marked with a name, another clue to add to the list: Effie. There was pop music coming from a dated radio and she was throwing piles of clothes all around the room. Atem smiled at the unfamiliarity of all this. When she noticed him, she placed a hand on her hip and smirked knowingly. “Let me guess: you won’t help with packing today, huh?”

He shook his head and nodded in approval at the same time, laughing at his own confusion. God, being a teenager was weird and confusing, and it affected not only his body, but his mind. “We’re leaving soon, I guess he wants to spend as much time with me as he can. Probably going to miss me.”

“They’re all going to miss you, as sickly sweet as that sounds. You guys are like joined by the hips on all sides. I blame our mother and theirs.”

Okay, so it was not just him and Malik then. He couldn’t quite make out the thing about their mothers yet, as he was interrupted in his thinking by the doorbell. That had definitely not been 5 minutes, but he could not help but happily jog to the door and swing it open. This persona was really driving him wild, he needed to get back a little control over it. Maybe the fact that the previous one had had an emotional effect on him had created this deeper connection to his following role, but who knew? Or maybe it was just the fact that reliving his teenage years was making him giddy, freeing him from actual responsibilities?

Malik was standing on the other side of the door, and Atem held back a chuckle from seeing the look of his good work friend, who usually was a very fashionable guru in their reality. He was dressed in a pair of old school lined soccer shorts, completing the look with neat pumps and a hooded sleeveless vest, his hair tied back in a ponytail on top of his head, impersonating the perfect sporty stereotype.

Oh, how he did not miss the high school cast system. He briefly wondered what type of Yugi he would face here and a tiny part of him hoped he would be the one cross-dressing this time, as part of karmic revenge. Yugi in a cheerleader uniform? Now, that would make them even.

Malik grabbed him around the shoulders, barely giving him the time to close the door, and dragged him down the sidewalk. “Come on, the shops await!”

Atem knew he should not ask his question, but he did it anyway, hoping to get other clues, because, as of now, he still had no idea about anything, except that his brain was making him act way too juvenile for his taste. “So who are we meeting exactly?”

The other tanned boy raised an eyebrow at him. “You’re kidding right? Is that even a real question?”

Yup, he should not have asked it, as he suspected. “No?”

Malik laughed and let go of him, giving him a soft slap on the back. “So you did just make a joke!”

He did not know why he did, but he scratch the back of his neck nervously. “I guess I did.”

Maybe there were no hospital emergency, or giant snake, or violent drivers here, but this mix of his own self and his persona here was so difficult to navigate it was giving him a headache. He needed to regroup with Yugi somehow, and maybe the presence of the other man would trigger his personality back on top, like gritting at his nerves or something.

He spotted two other guys a street corner away, one of them waving their way, and he recognized him immediately. Jounouchi’s adolescent self was looking very much like his adult one, except he was wearing clothes that were way more colourful, if not garish. His legs were wrapped in a pair of electric blue denim and his upper body was covered with a yellow and orange raglan t-shirt. His hair was its usual mess of blond hair, even the haircut was pretty similar to what he had in their world.

Next to him was standing a shorter boy that had his back to them until he saw Jou wave, and he turned around to face them. His purple eyes were unmistakable and he saw in them the few seconds it took for him to also recognize Atem. Yugi’s look had also been adapted to their current situation. He wore blue-checkered pants and a black t-shirt adorned with an old 80’s rock band logo. His blond bangs were also gone, and the tips of his hair had been switched to a sapphire blue instead of their usual violet. His face was also a bit rounder, but not by much.

Their group was clearly mismatched, but from the joyful way both Malik and Jou had greeted him, he guessed they were pretty close, probably best friends. He would have to ask Yugi what he had gathered on his side when he got the chance. As they met on that street corner, Malik and Jou took over most of the conversation, guiding the two clueless travelers around their little town, pointing at different shops they could enter. Yugi had subtly waved him with a smile. To the best of their abilities, they had tried to fall a few steps behind the two other boys to get a few words out to each other, but they had failed miserably, as they kept being dragged around. They finally entered a vintage clothing shop, filled with second-hand items of all sorts.

“So Atem, you excited for your big trip to Greece?” Jou said as he started going through the racks and pulling a few tops out and putting right across his chest, surprising him with the casualty of the gesture.

Atem tried to step aside for the clothes thrown at him. “Huh, yes, but what are you doing?”

The blonde, who seemed to have a very forward and colourful fashion sense in this universe, smiled brightly at him. “You need at least one good stand-out piece before you leave! You can’t go around walking in your borings greys and blacks all the time! It’s Greece, ‘tem! Lots of beautiful people strutting around!”

Malik’s head popped in his periphery, casually resting on his shoulder. God, what was it with these people and the constant touching? “I keep telling him to get out of them, but you know how he is. It’s like trying to get Yugi in a pair of jeans!” the sporty looking boy retorted.

That seem to get Jou off Atem’s case, and he eyed a pair of blue denim jeans that had been carelessly placed on a display table. “Speaking of which, look at these! Come on Yug’, you have to try them on!”

Yugi, who had been quietly standing in the background, eyeing pieces of jewelry from a rack, turned around briskly. “Huh, no thanks, I’m good here, just minding my own business!”

Malik left Atem’s side and grabbed the paler man’s hand, pulling him towards the dressing rooms. “Oh, come on, just humour us and show us that butt for once!” he said, wiggling his own butt at the comment.

Amethyst met scarlet as they passed next to each other, and Yugi’s rapidly reddening face pulled at Atem’s heartstring, completely taking him aback. Why did suddenly being faced with an embarrassed Yugi begging for his help with his eyes make him feel so caring? Damn teenage feelings! He was about to say something when his coworker was pushed into a cabin, forced to try on the pair of jeans. He knew the action was simple enough, did not understand why Yugi did not want to go through it, but he did not really want to think about it anyway.

A few seconds later, Yugi came out wearing the jeans, purposely avoid turning around to ‘show his butt’ until Malik playfully twisted him around and Jou whistled seductively. Atem found the whole thing ridiculous, and watched Yugi struggle to get back into the cabin and throw the pair of pants into Malik’s face, telling him to try them on since he seemed to like them so much.

At the comment, Malik simply shrugged and, still in the middle of the shop instead of walking into the cabin, he proceeded to peel off his sports shorts right on the spot and slide on the pair of jeans, that fitted him like a glove, just like they had Yugi. He watched as he took a couple of steps, walking like a model, and he smiled to himself.

Was that really how high school had been like? This shopping trip was a bit weird, but also very fun in its own ridiculous way. He remembered barely being out with one or two friends, and he never would have been caught dead back then doing anything similar to what he was currently doing.

And he liked it, the friendly banter, the closeness between them, the carefree expressions even on Yugi’s face as he seemed to relax too, now away from the attention he got from trying on the jeans. Atem had not noticed it had gotten silent until he saw Malik back in his shorts, handing him the pair of pants. “Come on, ‘tem! Your turn, can’t say no.”

“And why can’t I?”

“Because then Jou would also have the choice to not try them on, and we wouldn’t want that, huh?” Yugi offered with a smirk, his arms crossed on his chest.

Of course, he would be roped into the same process as Yugi if this last one had any say in this. However, he would absolutely not do like Malik and undress in front of all of them. He hid inside a cabin like Yugi had done, and he was not that surprised to fit easily into the jeans too. He could guess him and Yugi had similar measurements, as well as Malik. After his own little shy parade and rain of comments about how he should definitely try to show his body a bit more, it was Jou’s turn to try of the garment, and to their complete surprise, he was also able to wear them well, even if they hung more like skinny jeans on him.

Something happened, and to Atem’s understanding of the situation, Jou suddenly seemed to believe these pants were special since they all could fit in them, and that, because of that, they should buy them… and there was something about sharing them over the summer, but really, at this point, he could not care less. He finally managed to get some alone time with Yugi after being pushed back into a cabin with a dozen tops chosen by Jou for him to try. Yugi had volunteered to pass him each one of them, but from the knowing look he sent him, he knew they would try to sneak in some conversation about their course of action in this juvenile reality.

“Remind me again why I have to even go through trying all this stuff? It’s ridiculous…” Atem huffed from behind the door, as he tried on his third top.

“Beats me. I’ve looked at every single piece of trinket in this shop, and I haven’t notice anything remotely similar to a puzzle piece… Do you have any idea where we are?” Yugi asked from the other side.

“Some teenage coming-of-age movie perhaps, but I have no better idea,” the other answered, opening the door to exchange a few pieces with the ones Yugi was holding. Their fingers grazed slightly during the exchange and Yugi’s eyes were drawn to the mirror in the back of the cabin.

“Wait a second, what’s that?” he voiced, his eyes still glued to the mirror.

Atem looked at his exposed upper body before noticing a bruise on his right upper arm. “Hum, must be from when that bullet grazed my jacket back in _Fury Road_.”

Yugi motioned for him to spin around so he could see his back. “No, I mean, on your back. You have a tattoo?”

Atem frowned while angling his head to try to catch a glimpse of a drawing anywhere on his back. “Not that I know of, maybe in this reality I do.”

He heard Yugi hummed in curiousity. “Strange, it was there, I swear, and now it’s…” he started, and gently but surprinsingly, his fingertips poked at the skin on his back. “…holy shit!”

Atem strongly fought back a shiver that simple and light touch had made him feel, trying to focus instead on Yugi’s expression. “What? What happened?”

Yugi’s eyes met his through the mirror’s reflection in front of them. “It just showed up again, when I… touched you,” he stated, taking a short pause as if to choose his next words with care. “Atem, it’s the puzzle pieces, they’re tattooed on your back. Look!”

He angled the Egyptian’s body so he could see their outline on his back in the mirror, now as clear as day. There they were, the six puzzle pieces they had found in the previous shifts, embezzled into on another, starting to form a shape that made no sense at all as of the moment. “If I have them, I wonder…” Atem pondered out loud.

He could not explain why he did what he did next, without any prompting first or even asking anything. He quickly spun Yugi around and lifted his band t-shirt higher on his back.

He barely registered the other speaking in an anxious tone. “What… what are you doing?!”

He brushed the skin on Yugi’s back, passing over the same spot his own marks were, and they appeared on the pale skin too. “You have them too, they’re identical to mind.”

Yugi did not answer, and Atem finally registered a minute trembling coming from him and he immediately took his hands off the other, realising what he had just done. The now blue-haired man spun around and shove Atem back as he opened the door to the cabin and left him before he even had the time to apologize. He tried calling after him, but he was already out the door of the shop as fast as lightning. Jou and Malik were looking back between him and the door, wondering what had just transpired. Jou grabbed a bag from the cashier and ran after Yugi.

What was the saying again? One step forward, and two steps back?

Atem considered that he had probably just managed to take a mile back instead of just two steps…

***

Jou had came back into the store, putting an end to their shopping trip as he was to accompany Yugi back home. He did not seem to be mad at Atem, just baffled by the lack of comprehension. Malik had not probed him about an answer too, simply replying that these things happened, even between best friends, and that they would surely reconcile before Atem left for Greece. He just had to give the other some time to come down from his grey cloud.

Atem had barely been able to stomach anything at dinner that night, alone with his sister, their parents running around to finish a few things before their trip. He had not even seen them, could not even tell if this reality had offered him a chance to see his own parents, but at the moment, he could not care less about all that.

He kept going back to what he had always accused Yugi of: being a hypocrite, a fake sunny boy only for appearances, and that he could not trust him at all because of that. But what did that make him? He had pushed a boundary of personal space for his own curiosity on the spot, breaking that thin little thread of trust that had difficulty started to weave itself between them. He had felt the snap of it as Yugi’s eyes had flashed with the mistrust of a cat being taken to the vet and realising it only too late.

He could not let this go on any longer and knew that, for once, he would have to make the first move, because he had given the first hit. He quickly bid his sister goodbye who did not ask questions after seeing his kicked puppy expression throughout the evening. She simply wished him good luck before he was out of the house, running down the streets to where he instinctively knew Yugi lived in this reality.

It was not that late yet, but most of the lights in the house were turned off. His mind provided the answer that Yugi’s mom worked night shifts here, so he was often alone at this time. There was however one light still open in a second-floor window, and, like in all teenage movies he had previously seen in his life, he did the only sensible thing he could think of.

He took a pebble from the flowerbed around the house and threw it at the window, the clinking noise very clear in the quiet evening. It took a few seconds for the window to open and a familiar face came searching for the sound of the commotion. When he spotted Atem under his window, Yugi frowned and seemed to hesitate between closing the window and maybe hearing him out.

He could not take the chance that he would go for option number one, so he acted quickly.

“Yugi, I am so, so sorry,” the words were out of his mouth before he could really think about them, and insightfully, he realised he meant them completely.

The other seemed completely flabbergasted by the apology, his hand frozen of the window latch and his eyes wide. After what seemed like an eternity, he finally opened his mouth to reply. “My mom made apple crumble.”

Atem’s mouth hung upon, before he found his bearings. “What are you talking about?”

“Well, I mean my ‘mom’ in this reality,” Yugi implied, using his fingers to make air quotes.

The Egytian was still standing under the window in the middle of the lawn, completely uncertain of the course of action he should take at this point. “No, I mean, I just told you I’m sorry and-”

Yugi seemed to fidget from his spot in his bedroom next to the open window, but he interjected to complete Atem’s thought. “And I’m inviting you in to talk about it over apple crumble. Geez, don’t make this harder than it has to be, okay?”

There was an edge to his tone, but Atem thought he could detect something else under. Was Yugi as affected as him by this teenage persona’s mind mixing with his own, confusing the hell out of him too? Before he could answer, Yugi had disappeared from his view and a few seconds later, the front door of the house opened.

“Come on, I’m telling you. Apple crumble will make everything better, even if temporarily,” Yugi beckoned with a head nod towards inside.

The other followed him in, the same familiarity hitting him as he walked behind him to the kitchen he must have visited a hundred times before. So, in this reality, him and Yugi must have been friends for a really long time. He briefly wondered what that must have been like, and if they would have been friends back home if they had met in their childhood or earlier school years. They would have probably bonded over their shared love of games and spend hours over at each other’s place, gaming until the wee hours of the night of weekends. Maybe they would have even applied together at Kaiba Corp and… He abruptly shut down his train of thought. This had never happen and never would. Yugi and him were two very different people in reality than what they were here. Things between them could have been different, but they were not… and they probably would never be.

_But they could._

His brain’s recent nasty habit of hoping for the unachievable was back. He did not presently need it as he promptly told it to kindly shut up to be able to focus on right now. He took a seat at the kitchen island while watching Yugi take a large ceramic dish from the counter, spooning two generous portions of desert into individual bowls. He heated them to the right temperature in the microwave before dropping a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top that started melting right away into the desert, making a gooey, but glorious mess. He handed a bowl to his coworker and took a seat on a stool next to him.

Atem took a bite and he immediately felt the comforting effect of the mix of apples, spices, brown sugar and ice cream. Maybe Yugi had been right about apple crumble. His own mother used to make elaborate dishes, but was never too keen about deserts. The fact that this was homemade, freshly baked as of a few hours before, filled him with a warmth he did not know eating a simple desert could do. He sighed in happiness.

“Told you,” he heard from his eating companion.

For a few seconds, they both just ate until Atem could not take the uncertainty suspended between them. “I should have never done that. Warning or not, that was so disrespectful of me, and I can see why you would hate me for me. Not that you didn’t hate me before it too.”

“I don’t hate you,” Yugi spoke quickly. “I don’t do the hate thing.”

Atem finally found the confidence to turn around and look at Yugi, who was idly playing with his last bits of desert. “Well, strongly dislike then,” he countered.

The purple-eyed man sighed heavily and pined the other down with his gaze. “You don’t understand. And I guess I don’t, because I mostly just don’t get you,” he said, truth bleeding out of his words. “Eventually, it got annoying to see YOU going out of your way to hate ME. I mean, what did I ever do to deserve all that negativity from you?”

Suddenly, any trace of the teenage he was portraying in this reality disappeared. In that moment, he was Atem facing Yugi without any barriers, and in all honesty, it scared the heck out of him. They had had a similar moment in the back of that truck after he did his stupid stunt of going alone to get the puzzle piece and fighting out guys that would probably have killed him if he had not inherited the skills of his persona.

There was something about the non-threatening situation they were in, sitting at a kitchen island eating apple crumble, that what much more daunting then a post-apocalyptic world. Because this felt a bit too real, too close for comfort, and if Atem knew something about himself, it was that this was the best way for him to clam up on himself.

But it seemed Yugi would not let him run, not this time. As if he sensed the change coming from his coworker’s shell slowly coming back up, he reached for his hand on the counter, but his fingers never touched it, they simply stayed there, hovering over the hand, afraid to create physical contact, however not scared enough to retreat.

Atem swallowed and realised that maybe he had not been fair to Yugi. He might not be all sunshine and rainbows underneath all the smiles, but there was something totally genuine about him. Something that could not be faked, and he knew it to be honest because, those pools of amethysts that would waver whenever something seemed to be brewing deep inside of him were currently as calm as the sea after a storm, not a ripple in sight.

“I’m not very good at people stuff, if you haven’t notice,” he finally replied, his voice barely above a whisper.

The hand hovering settled down next to his instead, leaving room to breathe in between them. “I don’t think you give yourself enough credit,” Yugi offered. “You did awesome in every reality we’ve hit so far. Hell, you helped Anzu give birth and I couldn’t even tell your friendship with her had only begun a few hours before!”

Maybe he did not want to realize it now, but he kept refuting what the other was implying. “Maybe, but I’ve had help from the personas I was using…”

Yugi shook his head, but there was a hint of a smile on his lips. “From what I’ve felt, I’d say there’s more you than them coming through personality wise.”

It was Atem’s turn to sigh as he watched his own fingers flex against the marble countertop, but not moving away from Yugi’s who were barely an inch from his. “So what if you’re right? What does that change about us? I still…” he started, but the words refused to come out.

“You still what?” Yugi encouraged, but his tone was as gentle as it had been from the beginning.

His gaze went back to the violet eyes waiting for him. He felt his resolve and irritation dissolve when, once again, he could not find a trace of that hypocrisy he despised in them. “I still don’t get you either,” he answered. “You’re like this unsolvable puzzle for all I know.”

Yugi blessed the awkward pause with a clear like water laugh, his hand coming to his mouth in an attempt to cover it, but failing completely at that. “Atem, I’ve got issues, who doesn’t? I’m pretty sure you do from the way you act around me and others too.” His other hand left its spot on the counter as he rested his head on it instead. “But why would you based your opinion of me on something you don’t even know about? Because I’m sure trying not to do that about you.”

Atem blinked a couple of times and, eventually, he felt a smile creep up of his lips, and let it come out. “I might not hate you, but I think I might start hating it when you’re right, though.”

Yugi replied with one of his own smiles, and chuckled lightly. “And I’m sorry to say we should at least start by being friendly before I spill all my problems to you, don’t you think? I might also need to be drunk for that to happen, but that’s a story for another time.”

Suddenly, a laugh bubbled into the Egyptian and he could not contain it. And it felt oh so good to just let it out. It seemed to surprise Yugi, who probably was hearing his coworker laugh for the first time ever, because it was his turn to look taken about for a second, just before he joined him. This intense tension that had been filling their lack of relationship for years felt like it was starting to dissolve, and Atem found himself relieved at that observation. For a few minutes, both men just laughed, unable to stop themselves, breathing rapidly in between burst of incontrollable giggles. When they finally got down from their little shared cloud, the smiles were still lingering on their faces. Ultimately, the change in atmosphere was both welcomed and very much appreciated at this point in their journey.

Atem hesitated only briefly before trying to put a label on what had just transpired. “So what is this, a truce?”

Yugi rolled his eyes at the use of proverbial term he had used. “If you want to call it that, we could. Or we could just, you know, call it friendship, even if it’s just at its primitive state.”

The tanned man raised his spoon filled with gooey apples to the other. “To a new start?”

The paler man clicked his own spoon against his. “To a new start.”

***

Yugi had proposed Atem spend the night at his place instead of going back home so they could talk some more. He had quickly phoned home and told his sister who had picked up that he would see her in the morning. She had not even been the least bit surprised and wished him sweet dreams. When they had made it upstairs, he was almost shocked at the difference between Yugi’s bedroom in this reality and his; the whole place was a chaotic, but somehow organized mess, with VHS lined up on shelves and a camera on a stand in the only clear spot in the room. There were piles of clothes, folded ones he assumed were clean, and tossed around ones who were probably from the past few days. There were movie posters covering almost every inch of every wall.

Yugi went to his closet and pulled out thick blankets, a futon mattress and spare pillows that he all dropped on the floor next to his bed. Together, they arranged them in a makeshift bed Atem would be using for the night.

The Egyptian noticed a bag from the shop they had visited earlier today and raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t know you had gotten something today…”

Yugi turned to look at what Atem had picked up on. “Oh, I didn’t. This is the famous pair of pants that fitted all of us, Jou thought I should be the first one to give them a shot. He wants all of us to share them, as strange as that sounds.”

He went to pick them up and pull them out of the bag, but fidgeted with them as soon as they were in his hands. “That’s weird, I don’t remember them having…”

His fingers fished something out of the pocket that seemed to be stuck and Atem smiled knowingly as soon as what had been hidden there came into view. “Well, they just seem to appear when they want to, don’t they?” he motioned to the golden puzzle piece now in Yugi’s hand. It instantly started glowing, much to both their surprise.

Yugi sighed and glanced at Atem with a resigned look on his face. “And you know what? We deserve a break. I say tonight, we get some sleep. I don’t know about you, but I could sure use some rest.”

Atem found himself very much in approval of this plan. They had barely got any shut-eye ever since this whole thing started, and they might need more energy in the next reality for all he knew. “Agreed. Something seemed to have activated it, so I don’t think it will stop glowing anytime soon. Let’s deal with it in the morning.”

Yugi raised a quizzical eyebrow. “Did we just… agree on something? Like no arguing involved?”

“I can start arguing if that makes you feel more comfortable,” the other replied very casually.

A pillow was thrown into his face. “You’re ruining my compliment!”

Atem took the guilty cushion and threw it back at his attacker. “Oh, is that what this was?”

Once again, the room filled up with laughter. Atem knew there must have been a part of the casualty from their profound friendship in this universe, but there was also something new underneath both of their persona that was acting up too, and he felt it as plain as day.

Yug put the puzzle piece on the nightstand and its soft glow illuminated to room like a nightlight as they both laid in their respective bedding. Before closing his eyes, Atem realised that, in the end, they had not really talked about what had happened back in the shop when Yugi had ran away, completely shaken. They had not even mention the tattoos on their back, which was the discovery of the century as of now. But he also realised that he did not care about both topics at the moment as he rested his head on the fluffy pillow below him.

Because tonight he was going to bed as Yugi’s friend, and that felt good to know.

And, maybe it had taken him years, but he was starting to see the real Yugi, and that felt even better somehow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This piece was inspired by a scene from the movie 'The Sisterhood of Traveling Pants'. I enjoyed having the four boys just being completely sweet around each other!
> 
> Watch out, we're back to action for the next piece!
> 
> See you soon!
> 
> My [Tumblr](https://xauroraxborealisx.tumblr.com/)


	9. Nifty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 8 - Superheroes/Superpowers
> 
> I just wanted to leave a quick note about your comments that fill with heart with warmth and love every time! I will reply to every single one of them as I always have in the past, I just wanted to finish working on this chapter and get it as soon as I could for you!
> 
> This is my little homage to one of my favourite animated movies out there!
> 
> Enjoy!

To say that Atem suddenly felt jitty with excitement was an understatement.

Throughout this whole journey yet, they had been in tv shows or movies, some he had known and others he had completely been oblivious about, but it only took him a few seconds to recognize the one they were currently in. And by they, he also meant that for the first time in their shifting, Yugi and him had ended at the exact same place, their characters already together in a scene, with a few other familiar faces too.

They were surrounded by containers on what he knew was a pier, the evening having set a couple of hours ago. Around him was Jou, Anzu, Honda, Yugi as well as… okay, he mentally had to stop himself from squealing in enjoyment. He did not know if the person or whatever was behind their shifts knew about him and Yugi to begin with, and he thought it must have been sheer dumb luck that they ended up in one of the movies he knew almost by heart since he had watched it way too many times to remember or to confess to.

The large inflatable robot next to him, currently wearing a carbon fiber battle armor, was the first one to break the silence at he settled into this new reality. “Who would like to share their feelings first?”

Yugi seemed to fidget nervously in his spot, but Atem could not tell if it was from excitement like him or actual nervousness. Jou, a beanie jammed onto his unrealy hair, jumped in the middle of their small crowd, totally willing. “Ooh, I’ll go! Okay. My name is Jou and it’s been thirty days since my last… Holy Mother of Megazon!”

And things started escalating from there. They all turned around to face whatever had Jou suddenly panicking as a heavy container was lifted up the ground by what he knew to be tiny robots called microbots, controlled by a man in a kabuki mask, half-hidden away by the ever present darkness of the night and shadows.

“Am I the only one seeing this?” Jou ask apprehensively.

Their was a flash from a phone camera as Anzu quickly took a picture of their attacker, and then everyone started moving away from the upcoming danger. Everyone except Honda who seemed completely clueless about the fact that a giant metal box was about to squash them. When it suddenly hit him that he was right in the way of its impact, he screamed so highly it was almost comical, had it not been for the situation they were in.

Fortunately for him, Baymax had stop the container from hitting any of them. Atem heard Yugi order the robot around, but he grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the tiny yellow car parked a few feet away from them. They all filled up inside quickly, Yugi sandwiched between Anzu and Jou in the back seat, Honda driving and Atem sitting in the passenger seat.

“What are you doing?” Yugi asked Atem, with a knowing smirk on his lips. “Baymax can handle that guy!”

Atem turned around, and completely out of character, lost his sarcastic and bossy demeanor his persona pulled from, and smiled briefly at the other. “I’m saving your life!”

And Yugi’s smirk grew even bigger, as the other characters around them seemed completely oblivious to the fact that boys men had just realised that they were both totally in the know about where they were and maybe a little bit star-struck about it.

Their little moment was interrupted by said Baymax falling right on top of the car and creating a large dent in its ceiling. They heard Anzu urging Honda to start the car and get the heck out of there. Keeping his eyes on the statuesque villain that was currently after them, Atem managed to get out the lines from one of his favourite scenes.

“Yugi. Explanations. Now!”

And Yugi provided his answers in his own words. “This guy stole my microbots. I don’t know who he is, but he’s responsible for this whole mess!”

As if on cue, the guy in front of them charged an attack, the tiny magnetic robots under him pilling up like two giant pillars. Yugi started shouting attacks to the robot on top of the car, like a professional martial art coach directing his protégé. While he was doing so, Atem ordered Honda around, handing him the correct directions to navigate the empty streets around the pier of San Frantokyo in the foggy and wet evening.

Jou and Anzu seemed totally absorbed at watching the “thing” that was following them like it was nothing to chase a speeding car.

“That mask, the black suit… We’re under attack from a super villain, people!” Jou said before pausing, and then his enthusiam even in such a dire situation was palpable. “How cool is that? I mean, it’s scary obviously. But how cool!”

Through the rearview mirror, Atem could see Anzu was looking at him as if he had grown a second head. He could tell she was biting his tongue from the want of probably putting him in his place for acting so childish.

The car violently halted, Honda having pulled on the brakes with great force. There was a strange silence for a moment, before Atem turned to face the driver. He did not even have time to ask why they had stopped that Honda pointed the street light right above them. “The light’s red,” he simply said.

The Egyptian wanted to slam his head against the dashboard from the stupidity of the gesture. “There are no red lights in a car chase!”

To his great disappointment at not having time to slap Honda across the head, but also to his great relief, the light turned green fast enough for them to evade once again the villain pursuing them. Atem took a moment to glance back at Yugi and had half a mind to ask him to buckle up, but noticed that none of them had, except for Honda. The three other passengers were going back and forth about why this was happening to us, and if the guy following them was trying to kill them or just scare them straight. Anzu looked like the most reasonable one in the car and tried to calm everyone down, until a flying car was sent their way and she lost all self-control, yelling at her turn that the guy was certainly trying to kill them.

Atem felt as if his nerves were on fire and he needed to do something about them. His persona was setting in more comfortably now, and he noticed he was getting more and more annoyed at Honda who had the guts to use his blinker to indicate his turn, clearly giving a heads up to the villain hot of their tail.

“That’s it!” he stated.

He pushed the lever on the side of the driver’s seat to create some space between Honda and the steering wheel, surprising the driving who completely let go of it, long enough for Atem in his athletic silhouette to swiftly take a seat on his knees and take over the driving of the car. His persona liked speed and he was going to take fully advantage of it.

Atem would never admit it out loud, but he loved speed. When he had learned to drive, he had taken a few classes on the side with a private tutor who had taught him a few tricks about drifting and shifting at the right moment to create great momentum in car racing. He had never been able to fully use these neat tricks, but now was as good a time as any.

Yugi took the opportunity to switch from the backseat to the passenger one, snaking his way in between the two front seast to cliam his new spot. He was about to comment when the door next to him was yanked away by the microbots and the impact from the snatching of the door made him lose his balance.

Atem saw the whole thing happen in slow motion and felt his heart stop. Yugi’s body was jerked out of the car and he tried reaching him but he was already out of arm’s reach, and he also had to stay focused on the road for all the other people in the car, and this was not happening, not right now, not when…

He saw Baymax’s arm drop from the top of the car ceiling and catch Yugi just in time before he fell completely off the vehicle. With a quick reminder that seatbelts saved live, he also buckled up Yugi in the passenger seat, Yugi who had paled considerably, but who was there and alive, and that’s all that mattered. The Egyptian felt his heart beat again.

The next few moments passed in a blur: Atem driving like a combination of a professional car racer and a madman, Honda under him muttering prayers for all of them, probably scared shitless, Anzu trying to keep up her positive outlook on their impossible situation, Jou reeling from all the action and Yugi just going with the flow, no doubt feeling very happy about being strapped safely to his seat right now.

At the climax of their car chase, they finally managed to evade their enemy completely by diving into the icy waters of the ocean spread in front of their only way out. After fighting their way out of the drowning vehicle, the five of them latched onto Baymax who floated them back to the surface. Atem’s leather jacket clung his skin and his bangs covered half of his face. He felt shivers down his spine, both from the cold and his adrenaline level lowering. From his spot on the floating inflatable robot, he searched for Yugi’s gaze and internally sighed in ease, noticing the other was safe and looked to be okay, all things considered. Purple eyes returned his concern and Atem nodded in reassurance.

“We need to get somewhere safe… and warm,” Yugi proposed to all of them.

Instantly, Jou perked up. “I know a place.”

***

Atem continued to play his role according to his persona as they walked to Jou’s place, because unlike the other characters except for Yugi, he knew exactly that this was where they were going. Yugi faked a pretty good awkwardness as they approached the large mansion they were walking towards, and Atem joined in with irritation at Jou announcing this was his place until a butler opened up the front door and greeted Jounouchi cordially, surprisingly Anzu and Honda completely, Yugi and Atem just playing along.

As they all gasped at the expanse of each room they passed in, Yugi managed to catch Atem’s wrist subtly and pull him away. “I’ll pretend an urge to use the bathroom, just try to also get away, alright?”

Atem responded with a quick nod before his companion turned around to the butler and asked him the whereabouts of the nearest bathroom, mentioning all this action and water had given him a certain need. He watched as Yugi followed the man’s directions and stepped right behind the others entering Jou’s room. He stopped right before entering. “You know, I also have to take a quick leak, so I’ll just go now. Be right back with Yugi.”

He walked back down the corridor, trying to remember the butler’s direction when he was suddenly yanked into a room, the door swiftly closing behind him. Two hands grabbed his upper arms and he could see his coworker trying very hard not to jump in place.

“Oh my god, we’re in Big Hero 6!” Yugi squealed like an excited fanboy.

Atem took a few seconds to look at him with a deadly serious expression, not reciprocating his excitement in the least, until he could not fake it anymore and a huge grin broke on his face. “Oh my god, we’re in Big Hero 6!” he repeated with as much if not more exhilaration than the other.

Despite the ridiculousness of the gesture, they both jumped up and down, giggling like teenagers once more and both speaking at the same time, sentences juggling over each as they shared their joy about their current predisposition.

“This is like one of my favourite movies, ever!”

“Mine too, I know it almost by heart!”

“I could tell, you used the exact lines of dialogue!”

“Did you see my mad driving skills?”

“How could I not see them? That was epic!”

“And I mean… Baymax!”

“I know, right? He is AMAZING! This whole thing is amazing!”

“I don’t think I’ve ever been this excited in my life ever!”

“Me too, I think I might start hyperventilating!”

There was a short snappy knock on the door of the very large bathroom they had taken refuge in. “Is everything okay, sirs?” the clipped voice of the butler sounded from outside.

Both tricoloured haired men looked at each other with wide eyes and tried very hard to stifle their animated giggling. Atem seemed to have more success with it than Yugi so he was the one to answer the call. “Yes, we’re just in awe at…” he started, looking around the bathroom for something to complement.

“The… the sinks! They are just huge, I mean, I could probably take a bath in them!” Yugi improvised, filling in for the Egyptian.

The butler must have thought them to be completely out of their minds because there was a long pause before he replied. “Please do not attempt to do so. I could draw you a bath if you need one, in a proper bathtub that is.”

“Which is probably the size of a small swimming pool,” Atem murmured very low, barely holding his composure.

Yugi slapped his arm harshly, also containing his laughter by pressing his lips together. He took a deep breath through his nose. “No, that won’t be necessary, thank you.”

“Very well.” The sound of heels clicking against the floor notified them of the retreating butler, and they waited a few more seconds for him to be out of listening range before finally letting out loud bursts of laughter.

“Okay, okay, okay… we have to get our heads straight,” Atem said, being the first to be able to catch his breath.

Yugi nodded as he too was coming back down from his high. “Yeah, after all, we have a job to do here. Do our part and find the puzzle piece.”

“And, you know, be super heroes,” Atem added with a very wide smirk.

Yugi smiled until it abruptly fell from his face and his eyes enlarged even more. “Holy shit, I’m supposed to build us superhero costumes! How can I even do that?!”

Atem chuckled lightly and crossed his arm, sending a confident look his way. “You’ve already got the skills, you just gotta put them to good use!”

Yugi sighed in relief for a second. “I do, don’t I?”

The Egyptian raised an amused eyebrow. “I can’t tell whether you’re nervous or excited, which is it?”

The paler man hid his face behind his hands, trying to his the darker shade it seemed to be taking. “Both! This is awesome, but nerve wrecking! Give me a break, Atem!”

In a very childish gesture, Atem ruffled Yugi’s hair. “Calm down, okay. You’ve got this.”

For a second, there was a silent pause as he realised what he had just done and how exactly things had led him to do this. Their joy over this whole ordeal had brought this new angle to their exchange… and he had not totally dislike it. The overexcitement they had just shared was something he often wished he had done before in his life. He though about the fact that he had probably never had someone in his life to gush over nerdy things with him. Sure he had friends who understood his love of games and geek material, but what had just transpired between the two men had been so genuine and spontaneous that he had not even thought about who he was sharing this moment with. It had just been… effortless and natural.

“We should probably get back,” Yugi cut into his thinking.

Atem nodded and tried to stop his restless mind from going overboard again. “Or the butler will be back to check we are not using the sinks as baths for real.”

The other chuckled, bringing back a courteous atmosphere between them. They walked out of the ginormous bathroom and headed back to Jou’s room, knowing well what was about to happen and Atem could not help but smile at the prospect. This was a turning point in the movie, the moment that the little gang realised that with their smarts, they could counterattack by becoming their own kind of superheroes. Of course, it would take more than just suits and positive attitude, but they would get there eventually.

“I got this. I got this. I got this.”

As they neared the door, Yugi kept repeating this under his breath like a mantra. Atem laid his hand of the door handle and glanced his way right before turning it. He tried to smile as reassuringly as he could, even if there was a part of him that was as anxious as Yugi. “You do.”

***

It was the first time they were spending so long in one of the realities they had shifted into. Atem knew that it must have been because they had a bigger part to play before finding a puzzle piece. He was actually happy it was happening in an environment he was comfortable in. It almost reminded him of home somehow, with Yugi designing and tinkering outfits in a garage-like lab and him and the other testing out the different aspects of their respective high-tech outfits. Baymax kept helping out them out, being the awkward and lovable companion he had always gished about when he watched the movie.

Jou, Anzu and Honda were there to help out, but they often left in the evening to go back to their own place, being somewhat way more preoccupied with the other side of their life in this reality. Atem would often stay later to keep Yugi company, and to spend some downtime with Baymax, whom he still glanced at with starry eyes from time to time. He would sometimes show him some videos on a tablet as Yugi perfected some tools and gadgets, a pair of huge headphones on his ears blocking out distractions. Baymax seemed particularly found of cat videos.

One day had been particularly rough. Progress had been slower as the last few details were coming along and Yugi had become irritated with it, so he rode his bike across town to get away from it and to have a moment to himself. This was one thing he loved about his persona here: she had managed to create this awesome bicycle, she knew how to ride it perfectly and how to ride it as fast as it could go. The wind felt good on his face after being cramped up in that lab for the past few days, and the fact that he was alone for the first time in this reality hit him, but not necessarily negatively. He cycled back to the pier, enjoying the sunset on his own for a few minutes before deciding he did not want to leave Yugi alone for too long, in case he got on his case when he came back.

He knew the other man could handle many things in this universe, he just did not want to be on the receiving end of a crankier Yugi than he had to. The tinker had done a stellar job so far, and he must have been tired from overworking, but every time Atem had suggested a break, he had refused. This budding friendship that was slowly growing between them was still very new, and he had not wanted to push its limits so early in this stage. But it would be a lie to say he was not a little bit worried about Yugi.

When he arrived back at the lab, he went inside with two cups of coffee and a bag of sweet he had gotten on his way there. The paler man was still as his desk, fiddling with a piece of armour that would soon belong to Baymax. His headphones were still on, brushing his bangs out of his face like a headband, his hoodie was falling off one shoulder and he had taken off his shoes in order to sit cross-legged on his chair.

Atem approached him cautiously and caught a rolling office chair on his way, bringing it with him towards the desk. He placed the coffee on the metal surface along with the bag of sweets before sitting backwards on the chair, his arm resting of the back panel, his chin finding a spot to lay on.

Yugi automatically looked up from his work and offered him a tired smile. He pushed his headphones out, music lightly audible before he turned them off. “Hey,” he said.

“Thought you could use a break,” Atem offered with his own smile.

Baymax was standing in his charging pod, looking upon them, but not very much present until he would be completely recharged. Yugi tried to wipe sleep of his eyes with nimble fingers as he took a sip of coffee, sighing in content as soon as the beverage hit his tongue.

“I’m almost done. You know, they made it look so easy in the movie with the fast-forward and everything, but this shit is hard,” he commented as he reached for a scone in the bag and took a good bite off it.

Atem could not fight back the smile that was forming at the corner of his lips. “I’ve heard you swear many times by now, but I still think it is kind of adorable coming from you.”

Wait, had he just called what Yugi did adorable?! He was about to correct himself when the other man frowned at him. “Fuck you, Atem.”

Maybe it was the fact that Yugi had not reacted negatively to the word, or maybe it was just the fact that they were bound to have these types of interaction, but he could not help but add one more nudge to the other. “Yup, adorable.”

Yugi held his scone menacingly towards Atem. “You can’t call me adorable. I’m a grown man.”

The Egyptian rolled his eyes playfully. “You and I both know we lucked out on the growth department.”

Yugi’s eyes widened at the joke, but his gaze told Atem he would not give up that easily. “This truce was a bad idea.”

And two could play at that game. “And whose idea was it, huh?” Atem countered.

Yugi snapped at him with the anger of an offended teenager. “It was of common accord!”

After finishing his scone, the tinker man went back to finishing his armour piece, and Atem helped him by assembling pieces of Anzu’s suit, following the plans and designs Yugi had laid out. He was struggling with a particular intricate detail and, when he turned around to ask Yugi about it, he noticed that the other had dozed off, his head resting on his forearm, his breathing even and a barely noticeable snore coming out his slightly parted mouth. He let the outfit piece aside and motioned for Baymax to help him.

“Come on, Big Guy, let’s put the little one to bed.”

The inflatable robot picked up Yugi delicately from the chair without waking him up and laid him on the couch in the corner of the room. Atem took the blanket at the end of it, and draped in on the sleeping man. He watched as the other curled up in the welcomed comfort of the cover and he seemed to sink deeper into slumber.

“Friends do things for each other. You do a lot for Yugi.”

The tanned man turned around to face their technological companion with a raised eyebrow. If Baymax had noticed he was around helping a lot, had Yugi somehow commented on it while he was not here? Was he doing too much all of a sudden? He shook his head. He really doubted Yugi had really noticed, so focused on his work these past few days to even argue with Atem on occasions. Why was this friendship thing so tricky? Why did it make thinking about everything so much more complicated?

He went back to the desk to grab his coffee mug and emptied the remaining contents in one long swig. “Don’t go and tell him that,” he told Baymax with a wink.

The white balloon robot just started at him with his blank expression. “Why not? It is the truth.”

Atem played with the plastic cover on his disposable cup before throwing it in a trashcan by the door. The words he spoke next came out of his mouth a little it too quickly. “Just because it’s true, doesn’t mean you should say it,” he muttered them under his breath.

He did not expect the machine to question him again. “Why is that?”

The Egyptian grabbed his helmet he had left on the floor next to the door, and for a reason totally beyond him, he decided to entertain Baymax with an answer. “Because sometimes, people don’t know how to handle the truth.”

And once again, Baymax replied with his monotone words, unknowingly slashing at Atem’s heart. “Is that what is going on with you?”

This time, Atem did not dignify that question with an answer. “Good night Baymax.”

He shut the lab door behind him, hoping the bicycle ride home would help him breathe a little bit better.

And cursing a stupid robot for making him feel like crap right now.

***

The next morning, when he arrived, Yugi greeted him with a steamy mug of coffee, all smiles. His hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and he still had on the same hooded vest as last night, but had changed his t-shirt and cargo shorts. Atem himself was barely awake; he even wondered how he had biked all the way to the lab. He took a sip and watched as Yugi fidgeted on his spot and seemed to be doing his best to hold himself from bursting. He paused, the mug of the edge of his lips.

“What’s wrong?” he said.

Yugi shook his head rapidly, his fingers flexing repeatedly in front of him. “Wrong? Nothing’s wrong.”

“Then what’s good?” Atem asked tentatively instead, his brain still slowly awakening.

Yugi held his breath for a second before he almost yelled. “I’m done!”

The Egyptian took a moment to register what he had just said and then his eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. “Show me!”

And the moment he entered the lab, the only thought going through Atem’s head was how Yugi had more than outdone himself.

Laid out of tables and improvised stands were their whole team’s outfits, the main physical aspects very similar to those he has seen in the movie, but their whole design had been completely polished anew to fit their own unique team with a Duel Monster flair.

Instead of an alien-like suit, Yugi had fashioned a cute, but sturdy version of a Red Eyes Black Dragon that could jump twenty feet in the air from propellers in its feet and breath fire from a device hidden it its head.

Anzy would be sporting a short armour dress, complete with a stylish helmet and a computerized purse that would produce tiny balls of mixed chemicals to throw at their enemy. The whole look was coloured in the tones of her own favourite Duel Monster in their reality: sky blue and bright pink of Dark Magician Girl.

Honda’s outfit was inspired by Super Roboyarou, with a mix of polymer armour with a flexible one-piece and electronic bracers that would allow him to project laser swords, as well as enlarge them to create small energy shields on his forearms.

When Atem laid eyes on his own suit, his breath caught in his throat. Yugi has managed to hide most of the progress on his suit away from him, much to his annoyance at first. He did not know how Yugi knew about his favourite monster, although he never kept it secret to anyone, but he was in awe at what he had been able to recreate.

Over a set of black pants and top were carefully built a breast plate as well as arm cover-ups in a deep purple with lighter lavender highlights, plated like the costume of the Dark Magician. The leg pieces as well as the two disks attached to them that would allow him to wheel his way around were made of the same design, like the two other disks on his arms that could be used as shields and weaponized frisbees. The helmet was gorgeous, the pointed end reworked to even look a bit more the magician hat, and Yugi had also added a Kuriboh on the side of the helmet. Atem held it in his hands and raised a questioning eyebrow at Yugi. “How did you know?”

Yugi shrug with a shy smile. “I saw the figurine on your desk once. And on your work mug.”

He nodded, trying to hide his surprised smile, as his eyes found Yugi’s own marvelous costume. Over his bodysuit, he has tinkered blue and white armour pieces with motifs to link it to the Silent Magician, from the superb helmet to the embezzled jewel on the chest piece, the specially designed kneepads and gloves that would connect to Baymax’s own armour to allow them to team up just like in the real movie. Yugi had added a Marshmallon patch to his own helmet, and Atem could not tell how he knew that, but he could swear Yugi had a stress ball in the shape of that particular monster at work.

As for Baymax, Yugi had payed homage to one of the very rare cards of the game, turning him into a majestic version of the Winged Dragon of Ra, complete with a set of golden wings.

Yugi crossed his arms, a proud smile of his face. “I thought about making him look like Gandora at first, but since I made that Red Eyes costume for Jou, I wanted him to stand out more. And gold suits him, he deserves to shine like a big ass beacon of magnificence!”

Atem whistled as his fingers slid on the edges of the wings. “Agreed, he looks superb!”

Before they could both continue, the rest of the gang popped in the lab and started gushing over the suits. After a few test drives about the various uses of their costume, Yugi asked Baymax to scan the city in search of the energy source the microbots emitted to locate where their nemesis would be. Atem felt excited to get in on the action, but he knew they were headed into dangerous territory. Both he and his persona’s worry brewed together under the surface at that prospect.

Baymax took them all over there Atem thanked his persona for being better than he was with heights, lessening the queezing in his stomach as they flew to a small island not to far off the coast. Things happened exactly as they were supposed to happen. They found a control room in a quarantined base hidden from the world where they were able to view a part of saved video feedback. It showed them a university professor they all believed to be dead in the same fire that had killed Yugi’s older brother in this reality a couple of weeks ago. Both the brother and the professor had kept their movie persona, like it had happened in other realities too. Atem took a wild guess and thought that maybe they were not that imported to their journey then.

That’s when he noticed a shift in Yugi’s attitude. The young man who had lead most of their team so far seemed to retreat in the back and both his helmet and that of Yugi made it hard for Atem to assess the other’s emotions. He was so wrapped up in trying to understand what had provoked this change that he barely registered they were about to be under attack until it was too late. He should have remembered this was about to happen, but he had been distracted.

Soon, everything was moving around. His companions seemed to have confidence at first and attacked the masked man from all angles, but the chaotic dynamic that they created only served in trapping them and disabling them rapidly. Atem tried to keep an eye on Yugi while wheeling his way out of trouble and aiming his Frisbees at the enemy and its attacking bots. He found it difficult to focus on the fight that was happening instead of what had plagued his mind a couple of minutes before. When things seemed to move away from the room they were in, he freed himself from the microbots ensnaring him and made sure Anzu, Jou and Honda could follow him as he searched for his missing coworker.

When he finally found him at the bottom of a metal staircase not too far away, he did not recognize the man who stood there in lieu of Yugi. Physically, it was still him, but his whole demeanor screamed stranger. From where he stood, he could see the violet eyes unfocused and completely distant. He watched in slow motion as Yugi snapped out Baymax’s safety protocol card from the slot in the armour and threw it a couple of feet away on the ground, leaving only the attack mode in.

Baymax turned into a killing machine and attacked the university professor without restrains, like a savage beast let loose. Yugi kept ordering him around, his cold words echoing against the alloy walls of the room, mixing with the clashes of battle. Anzu, Jou and Honda all tried stopping Baymax, but Atem could only concentrate on Yugi. He faced him and searched from his eyes, but something inside them scared him.

Because his eyes were completely empty. Gone were the vivid pools of amethyst, instead he faced eyes that had turned into darkness.

Atem grabbed Yugi’s face between his palms and tried to wake him from his deadened state. “Yugi! Listen to me. This is not your anger, you have to remember that!”

The other man would not have it. He harshly pushed Atem out of his way, but before he could move around, the Egyptian had grabbed him from behind, trapping him in his arms. Because of the momentum he had gained over Yugi, Anzu was able to reach for the abandoned protocol card on the floor and reactivate Baymax’s full operations by successfully reattaching it back to its port. The masked man had escaped during the scuffle and Yugi was struggling with all his might in Atem’s arms.

“Calm down, we have to regroup and talk about this.”

Yugi kept telling him to let go until he found an opening in Atem’s grip and elbow him right in the face. The tanned clutched his mouth, blood rushing to his face and dripping from the impact wound. Yugi spun around to face him and stopped what he was about to yell when he saw the drops of blood splattering to the ground.

His darkened eyes changed back to their original colour in an instant and the guilt on his face was so raw it pulled at Atem’s heart. He wanted to speak, to say anything to ease it, to tell him it was not his fault, but the pain on his mouth was still too present for him to do so. In his periphery, he saw Baymax coming closer to him to check on his wound.

Yugi bolted out of the room before anyone could do anything.

***

It took a couple of minutes for Baymax to tend to his opened upper lip, which had seemed way worse than it was in reality. He had spayed it with an antiseptic that cooled down the swelling and the robot reassured him that it might be tender for a few days, but that would be the extent of his wound.

Atem found Yugi sitting on a large rock near the ocean, his helmet abandoned next to him. His eyes were slightly red and he guessed the other must have cried at some point, but decided not point it out. He just sat down next to him quietly.

“You pack quite a punch for someone with such a gentle inkling,” Atem pointed out, trying to ease the palpable tension with some light humour.

Yugi did not laughed but he did look at him. His fingers reached for the tanned face, but stop right before touching him once again. His hand felt back down to his side. “I am so, so very sorry. I never meant to do that. I never meant to…” Yugi stopped and Atem could see him swallowing the knot in his throat.

Once again, he turned to humour, a somewhat nervous habit when he could not handle a situation honestly. “What’s one more bruise, huh? It will go nicely with the one on my arm.”

The other seemed angry, but he knew the anger was not really directed at him. “Why are you joking about this?”

Atem fixed his crimson eyes into amethysts one, relieved to see them back to their original state. “Because I don’t care about the bruise, but I do care about what happen to you back there…”

Yugi just kept staring back at him, and it seemed the he could not take it anymore as he tore his gaze away to set it on the ocean once more. “I… I don’t know. One minute, I was fine, the next, I was seeing red. The persona took over completely, I couldn’t distinguish it anymore.”

The Egyptian thought about the intensity of the last few days, how Yugi had dove head first into all the planning and designing, and had managed to somehow forget himself amongst all of it. He wondered if this was something that happened often back home to, wondered if Yugi often overdid things and exhausted himself in the process. “I think you overworked yourself and it got to you.”

Yugi picked a pebble from their rocky surrounding and pressed his fingers tightly around it. “I couldn’t control it and I…”

Atem did not need him to finish that thought. He had seen it on his face. “It terrified you.”

There was a pause before the paler man sighed heavily. “How would you know?”

It was the tanned man’s turn to pick up a rock, but instead of keeping it in his hand, he threw it and watched it skip a couple of times before it sank in the water. “Because it would terrify me too.”

With that said, he reached inside the pocket of his jacket and extended his hand to the other. Yugi’s eyes caught sight of the gesture and looked at what was laid inside the palm of his hand. His eyes widened in surprise. “How long have you had it for?”

Atem smiled, astonishing even himself by the sweetness he managed it in. “It fell off the professor’s kabuki mask when you were able to pull it off before sending Baymax on his ass. I got a bit preoccupied about other things right after to tell you on the spot…”

Yugi’s own smile was still tainted by guilt, which Atem would have liked to be able to erase completely. Things happened and they had do deal with them. He might have gotten a split lip out of it, but the important thing for him was that Yugi had been able to come back and shake off his persona in the end, before he had done something worse. If Yugi ever wanted to talk about it, Atem would listen to him, but he sensed that he should not push this issue more at the moment.

He felt the pulse as the puzzle piece started to glow.

He nudged Yugi’s shoulder with his own. “You gotta admit, this was kind of an epic fun ride for a while.”

“Yeah. It truly was.” This time, Yugi’s smiled lightened. “Guess I kind of blew the fun out of it a bit.”

Atem huffed and chuckled. “Just because one bad thing happened, it doesn’t take away all the fun we had from it. I mean, we were superheroes for a moment there!”

Yugi’s shoulder finally started to relax as he chuckled at their exchange. “When did you become the wise and positive one?”

The Egyptian rolled his eyes, briefly wondering if his sassy persona was affecting him a little too much at the moment. “Well, one of us has got to take on that role if we’re going to survive this, don’t you think?”

The paler man laughed and it felt liberating to Atem’s ears, like they were back on solid ground after a particularly bumpy boat ride.

The last time they had shifted, they had waited after a good night’s sleep and had done so almost too casually when they awoke in the morning. They were both pretty exhausted from their day now, but it seemed strange to go back to the others, to go back into their characters after what had just happened. Yugi seemed to have the same line of thought because he was the one to ask it this time. “On that note, ready for a change of scenery?”

A part of him wanted to ask about Yugi’s well-being, ask him if he needed a pause before they shifted again, but deep down, he knew the other would refuse. He made a mental note to force the other to take it easier in the reality as soon as they could.

_“Friends do things for each other. You do a lot for Yugi.”_

He guessed Baymax was right. But he also knew for a fact now that Yugi did do a lot for him too.

Yeah, he definitely needed a change of scenery before he started overthinking about this friendship thing again. He nodded and offered his hand to his traveling companion.

“See you on the other side, Yugi.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I guess I don't have to tell you the movie selected for this chapter! I wanted both Atem and Yugi to be overly excited about their role in this movie, and the fact that they both knew and loved it!  
> Boys geeking and bonding over a movie <3
> 
> See you soon!
> 
> P.S. I know you're still wondering about the tattoos and the workings of the puzzle pieces. The boys will soon have time to sit and chat about it a bit more ;)
> 
> My [Tumblr](https://xauroraxborealisx.tumblr.com/)


	10. Naïveté

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 9 - Royalty
> 
> At first, I was not sure where to take this, racking my brain for a Royalty setting I liked. And, as a lot of my ideas come these days, this one hit me as I was swinging at the park. Yup, I have this weird thing about going for a swing to ease my mind lolll You should try it, it is kind of awesome, especially when the park is empty as it often is around here!
> 
> So enough rambling, this is my offer and, yes, there is a method to the madness!
> 
> Enjoy!

This time, Atem woke up in complete darkness.

Thick, but not necessarily heavy, just impossibly blinding.

He was sitting on a floor that was surprisingly quite comfortable, his fingers meeting with woven fabric as well as what appeared to be cushions covered in silken material. For a moment, he thought about crawling on the floor and feeling his way around until he could find a light source, but this murky atmosphere did not reassure him as to what else he could find and touch in the room.

He pondered for a moment. There seemed to be no sound at all in the room, other then his steady breathing. His other senses also did not pick up on anything remotely interesting, or giving away any hint as to where he was. A quick, but somewhat dumb thought crossed his mind, but he guessed there was no harm in trying something completely random at this point.

“Lights on.” he whispered to the room.

Nothing happened.

“Let there be light,” he tried with a little bit more conviction this time.

Still nothing.

“Lights, I command you to turn on,” he demanded with force.

The darkness still taunted him like an untamed beast.

“What must a guy do to get some light around here, huh? Clap his hands?”

While he said that, he quickly tapped in his hands twice like in these old school commercials where people would do so to turn on the lights in their room using a very kitsch gadget. And to his great surprise, it actually worked.

“You’ve got to be kidding me…” he muttered under his breath, but his surprise turned into shock when he took in his newly lit surroundings.

The room was quite small and in a unpredictable round shape. The furniture was quite simple in his contents: one oval coffee table right in the middle of the room, one large extravagant lounge chair and dozen of pillows in various colours and textures on the floor, where an exquisite woven carpet was covering the whole surface. Most colour tones his eyes met resembled jewels: ruby reds, citrine yellow, amber orange and a few bits of amethyst purple and emerald green here and there.

That’s when he also noticed that the walls and ceiling were made of a material that they were not usually made of: ancient looking brass or gold, he could not quite be sure about it just from looking at them. In the ceiling was the only exit he could see, although it seemed to be completely shut tight, like a lid on a…

He rapidly darted his gaze to his body to confirm his growing suspicions. He was wearing a pair of harem pants in a marvelous shade of sapphire with a large crimson sash belt. His feet were covered in comfortable golden slippers with pointed ends. His wrists were encircled by large metal cuffs, the same metal that seem to compose the walls trapping him. He could feel the heaviness on long bang earrings as he reached to confirm their presence.

And his skin was blue. So blue. Everywhere he looked. He had half a mind to check if indeed every little inch of it was that colour, but stopped himself for doing such a stupid thing, even though no one could ever blame him of doing so as he was totally alone in his golden prison.

The reality of knowing the only thing he could do right now was wait for someone to free him dawned on him. On the coffee table was laid a exquisite tea set made of coloured crystal embezzled with gem. He stood up and walked over to it, checking to see if a brew had indeed been prepared previously. It was empty, but as soon as he lifted it, the aroma of sweet mint tea filled in the air and the pot seemed heavier. He picked up one the cups, poured beverage into it when a cloud of smoke started enveloping his feet, and then wrapped up around him completely.

His vision was once again blinded, and he was back into darkness, but it was not as thick this time as before. His eyes adjusted quickly to his new setting and he found the current situation on the comical side as he was standing up with the tea pot and cup still in hand, in the middle of a darkened rocky cave, his feet planted in sand, facing a half-naked Yugi. Mind you, he knew he was half-naked too, but he thought that the blue skin kind of acted out as more of a cover up than his direct exposed skin.

Yugi’s appearance was less glorious than his. His off-white dirty pants were ripped and repaired on one of his knees, his waist was wrapped in a brown sash and he had on a short purple vest while his feet were bare. On his shoulder, almost trying to hide itself in his hair, was a cute little monkey eying Atem suspiciously.

Atem offered his cup to Yugi. “Tea?”

Yugi just blinked at him a couple of times. “You’re blue.”

The Egyptian took a sip of his tea, noting it was quite delicious. “And you’re stating the obvious.”

The other nodded, pursing his lips. “It really… brings out your eyes?”

Atem spurted his tea and Yugi laughed loudly, the sounds echoing against the stone walls around them. He threw both the cup and the teapot behind him, momentarily mourning the loss of his beverage, as both items dissipated into puffs of purplish smoke. He wiped his hands together and cleared his throat. “You know, I’m the one who can get us out of here and get this thing rolling… and I’ve got an inkling of dragging this out just to make you miserable.”

Yugi crossed his arms on his chest and smirked. “No, you’re supposed to start singing and dancing and all. I’m very excited about that prospect, actually.”

Atem thanked his cerulean skin for hidden his flush of embarrassment. “I am not going to give myself in spectacle to you, Yugi. You can forget about that.”

“Awww, and here I thought you were going to let loose for once…” the paler man joked.

Atem puffed his cheeks like an annoyed hamster. “I am, just not by singing and dancing, mind you…” His puff then turned into a grin. “I could however make you do those things if I wanted.”

Yugi’s eyes widened at the implications. “You wouldn’t!”

Atem twirled his finger his way, closing the distance between them, watching as purple eyes filled with apprehension. The other swallowed, waiting for was he thought was about to happen and closed his eyes, but he was only given a boop of the nose from a teasing blue finger.

The genie added to the gesture with a mocking tone. “I’m not going to abuse my powers… yet.”

Yugi’s eyes opened just in time to see the monkey on his shoulder snap his tiny teeth at Atem’s finger who pulled away right before it was bitten. The blue man frowned at the offending animal.

“Careful, monkey! I won’t hesitate to turn you into a toy if you try that again!”

For a brief moment, he was reminded of Jounouchi’s fierce demonstration of friendship for his friends and he giggled internally at the notion that this could in fact be Jou’s manifestation in this reality.

Yugi’s gently scratched the monkey’s head in affectation while smirking at the genie. “Good monkey.”

The sight of Yugi so smug, yet so kind at the same time made a single butterfly flap in his stomach. He frowned more to himself than anything else, and he turned away from the other, pretexting to look at the rocks surrounding them. “You know, this is kind of a good spot to just take a break from all the craziness we’ve been drawn into for a moment.” He glanced back to monitor the other’s reaction. “If that’s okay with you, that is.”

The monkey jumped into Yugi’s open hands and settled against his chest. “I actually think that’s a great idea. I would just make this a tinsy bit more welcoming, if you get my drift.”

Atem smiled and waved his hands a few times. Through purple smoke appeared a large carpet with cushions, a similar set of tea glasses and teapot as the one he discovered in his lamp, as well as an array of finger foods that all looked mouth watering. The aroma alone seemed to satisfy Yugi as he sat down in awe at the variety of snacks. Atem realised he did not really feel hunger in his state, but the prospect of enjoying food still seemed feasible. He settled down next to his companion, chuckled as the monkey grabbed a few grapes and started munching on them, and busied himself by serving tea in two different cups.

After a few minutes of drinking and eating, Yugi apologised for completely just diving into the food. It seemed his persona had not eaten well in the last couple of days, and that had affected him more than he thought. “Do you sometimes find it weird, juggling the persona and your own self?”

For a second, Atem thought about bringing up what had happened with Yugi when he was channeling Hiro’s persona from their last reality, but he held his tongue, not wanting to cause a negative reaction in his coworker. “Yeah, it is. I have to remind myself sometimes that this is not me, like in Fury Road, where the aggression level of my persona was off the charts. Thankfully, I managed to rein in it, and not, you know, kill anyone.”

Yugi nodded, but Atem noticed he seemed very thoughtful, so he decided to keep their conversation going to keep him grounded here. “We’ve never really talked about the puzzle pieces, the fact that we both have them on our backs…”

He knew that could be another sensitive topic because of what had happened between them in the dressing room back in what he called the ‘teenager’ reality. However, they had to have the talk one way or another, and to make sure it was going to go as smoothly as it could, he volunteered his back even before Yugi could reply. “Mind checking it out again?” He angled his body so it could be easy for Yugi to reach and examine the tattoo that only seemed to appear when they connected physically.

He could see for his periphery that Yugi was holding a tentative hand close to his skin, but he did not touch it yet. “Can I?” the paler man asked.

Atem felt he needed the reassurance that was he was doing was perceived as okay. “Go ahead,” he encouraged him.

He did not expect the warmth that followed when Yugi traced the appearing shapes on his upper back. He also did not expect to ease into so naturally. “There are eight pieces now, one for each of the realities we’ve been in,” Yugi explained as he observed him.

The last time, Atem had only glanced at the tattoo briefly so he wondered if there could be more to it than just that. “Is there anything else?”

Yugi let out a discontented sigh. “They seem to be forming a shape, but nothing very definite at this point. But that’s it… kinda disappointing, don’t you think?”

The fingers left his skin, the warmth replaced by a sudden coldness he could not shake off. He shifted to be able to face back the other. “It’s a clue nonetheless. It means there must be an end to all of this once we collect all the pieces. We just don’t know how many pieces we might need,” Atem supplied, trying to sound as hopeful as he could.

Yugi grabbed his tea glass and took a sip before replying. “But it doesn’t even give us any information on how to find them or activate them. You know, make them glow.”

The genie shrugged and reached for a baklava. “We do know we need to both touch the puzzle piece as it glows to shift…”

The vagrant played with the rim of his glass without looking at him. “And, I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but I think I might have an idea of what activates them…”

Atem realised he also had somewhat of an idea, but he wanted to hear what Yugi had to say about it first. “What’s your take on it?”

Yugi took a deep breath. “Call me crazy, but I think this whole thing might be about us…” He started before lifting his eyes to look in Atem’s directly. “… working together.”

What Atem actually found crazier was the fact that both their idea seemed to align about this whole thing. “It doesn’t sound crazy at all. I had a similar thought,” he said. “We’re stuck in this journey together, it makes a lot of sense that what triggers the puzzle piece is us getting along.”

The paler male chuckled lightly. “Look at us agreeing on something!”

“Don’t get too use to it,” the blue man replied before taking a bite of his sweet treat.

Yugi snickered, but there was nothing honestly mean in his comment. “I could start disagreeing with you again if it makes you feel more comfortable.”

Atem offered him a smug smile and then it turned pensive. He did not want things to get awkward or push the other’s boundaries, but he was curious about the tattoo himself, but that meant asking Yugi to show it to him. He threaded lightly.

“Would you mind… if I looked at your back?” he asked.

Yugi blinked, and he did not seem to understand why Atem was being so careful about this. “Yeah, I mean, fair game, no?”

This made Atem wonder even more why Yugi had recanted so quickly the last time. Maybe it had not been the notion of touch that had driven him away then. But if so, what did? “But I need to touch you, I just wanted to make sure that…” he started with a gesture towards his companion.

Yugi grabbed the active hand motioning his way and smiled softly. “It’s okay, Atem.” He quickly let go of the hand right after that. “I just appreciate the heads up.” He slid his vest off his shoulder, leaving it laying inside his elbows and offered him his back.

Atem nodded even if the other could not see it. “I’ll remember to be mindful about that.”

He delicately pressed his fingers against the skin to make the drawings appeared. They were exactly as Yugi had described them, the puzzle pieces they had found forming an abstract ensemble so far, unable to reveal anything more to them, not even how many would be needed to complete the intended ending shape. They were however beautifully inked, their distinctive shapes fitting into each other perfectly. He did not want to let his fingers linger any longer, mostly for Yugi’s sake, but also because he somehow did like the softness of Yugi’s pale skin against his fingers and it made it difficult for him to think straight for a second.

“How about getting out of here now?” Yugi said as they were back to their original position.

“Where is your magic carpet so I can ride you all out of here?” Atem winked at him.

***

They made it to an oasis close to the city, but not too much so they would not be disturbed. Since both knew were this story was headed, they did not waste time with getting the specifics about what they had to do. Atem comfortably settled in his genie persona, finding it amusing to want to make puns at every of Yugi’s words, annoying him greatly in the process. He felt it was appropriate payback for Devil Yugi back in the Lucifer reality. Yugi, on the other hand, seemed a confusing mess of embarrassment and underling confidence at the same time, making the Egyptian want to chuckle way too often.

“So ready to become a prince and seduce a princess?” the genie announced with glee as the sun was slowly peaking at high noon.

Yugi crossed his arms against his chest and huffed. “No.”

Atem raised an eyebrow. “That is not really the answer I was looking for…”

Yugi sighed, still keeping his closed gesture. “At least, it was an honest answer.”

The other reached for him and uncrossed his arms pulling him to a small stool that appeared at his will. “I’ll give you that. But you’re still going to have to go through with it.”

Yugi obeyed at raising his arms as the blue man started talking measurements like a tailor, moving swiftly around him like a giddy moth around a light source. “Do we really have to make a grand entrance and all?”

Atem looked at him pensively for a few seconds, trying to come up with ideas about looks and parade concepts in his mind. His brain was having way too much fun with that and it was honestly both exhilarating and overwhelming at the same time. “That is kind of the whole point for this… and besides, my whole body is tingling at the idea, it’s quite unnerving actually.”

Yugi’s mouth dropped open at that comment and he spun around to face his friend. “Geez, Atem, get a grip!”

The cerulean man wiggled his eyebrows playfully, something immensely out of character for him usually. “And here I thought you wanted me to let loose…”

The paler man facepalmed. “Shut up and make me a prince, genie!”

Atem immediately conjured out the exact same look he had seen in the movie, but he frowned as soon as Yugi was draped in the cream and gold ensemble. Maybe it was the colour against his pale skin tone, but it did not seem to make him look the part of the prince he was supposed to portray. “Hang on, that’s not right,” he said, while flicking his wrist and making a colourful palette of fabric appear in his hand.

He flipped through them and his eyes knew the answer to their wardrobe problem the exact second they met what he was looking for. He smiled and nodded. Yugi fidgeted in his spot, noticeably uncomfortable during this whole makeover process, pulling at the pieces of clothes that he seemed to be drowning in.

Atem thought for a few seconds before drawing a new outfit, his fingers dancing in the air like weaving the fabric itself. Soon, Yugi was enveloped with the now familiar purple smoke and when it dissipated, the Egyptian was quite proud of what he had managed.

Yugi now sported a pair of emerald harem pants, carefully tucked into golden slippers that reach mid-calf. His upper body was covered by an off-white long sleeve tunic, and the whole thing worked together beautifully with a long sleeveless vest reaching past his knees in that same rich shade of emerald green, but embroidered with golden motifs, cinched at the waist by a golden sash. His hair had lost its purple tips to make it less recognizable to the princess he was supposed to be courting undercover, and it has been braided with golden beads strategically placed, and tied back to show his facial features, only a few blond bangs falling on the sides of his face. To complete the look, Atem had added a few well-chosen accessories: golden cuffs around his wrists, metal ear cuffs and earrings with amethysts to match his irises and defined khol liner around his eyes to make them stand out.

Yugi seemed really self-conscious as Atem was observing his work, but he appeared already more comfortable in this outfit than the previous one. He turned and moved around in his clothes, testing their feel and noticing the quality of his genie’s creativity. He nodded his approval and looked back at Atem with a shy smile.

“How do I look?”

_Gorgeous._

Atem did a mental double take. Woah. How had that come up? Why did his brain suddenly decide to pull this kind of stunt on him while he was looking at Yugi? Maybe the heat of the sun had fried a few of his cells. Maybe his high-spirited person was taking too many liberties with his thoughts, but whatever it was, it needed to stop now. He still needed to answer the question, though.

“Regal.”

And maybe it was the sun and the heat at play here too, but he thought for a moment that Yugi’s cheeks had reddened suddenly. He watched as the other blinked a couple of times before setting his gaze on his chest, and quickly spinning around on his heels.

“Could you… I don’t know… conjure a shirt on?” he heard him mutter.

It was Atem’s turn to blink. What was happening all of a sudden? “I’ve been topless from the beginning and now it bothers you?” he countered.

From his perspective, it seemed Yugi was tapping his feet like an annoyed child, his back facing him. “It’s… inappropriate!”

Atem laughed at this. “Really?” He shook his head while magically changing his look. After all, he had a part to play into the following events, and looking like a topless smurf was not the right way to go about that. He played it safe, while complementing his ‘prince’ in a sapphire blue outfit complete with harem pants and a tunic, as well as a head wrap, hiding most of his hair. He keep his jewelry to a tasteful minimum, making sure that Yugi would stand out way more than anyone else in that beginning act he was mentally preparing to conjure.

“Come up, blushing future groom, let’s hit the road!”

If Yugi had done an outstanding job in the previous reality, Atem had made sure to pull out all the stops in their presenting parade as they entered the street of Agrabah: dancers, fire breathers, exotic animals, sword fighters, orchestrated like a masterpiece as he tapped into his persona fully to be able to lead all of them into the city without a hassle. He knew he should have broken into song like the genie had in the movie, but even his extravagant persona could not break that very high barrier for him, so he had conjured up a crowd entertainer to take over that part of their parade. The guy was doing a pretty good job, a better one that Atem could have ever seen himself do in any situation.

They made it to the palace under the applause of almost every inhabitant of the city and an overexcited sultan welcomed them at the gates. Atem chose to keep his physical form next to Yugi just to show his support and not let him handle some of the diplomatic aspects on his own. Mind you, he thought Yugi could probably do a great job, but he felt he should be there to help in case. As they walked behind the royal guards separating them from the sultan, the prince leaned his head his way.

“This. Is. So. Weird.” he said, each of his whispered word pressed tightly.

“What?” Atem replied as low.

“The sultan is my grandfather…” Yugi muttered under his breath.

Atem stifled a laughed, but almost choked on it as they entered the throne room and he noticed who was standing next to the large chair waiting for the sultan to sit down. “Weird indeed. But is it as weird as our boss being the evil vizier in this reality?”

Yugi snapped, provoking one of the guards to look back at him suspiciously. “What?!”

Indeed, the very impressive Seto Kaiba himself was standing in an imposing outfit of black and crimson, his snake scepter in his hands, his eyes glaring daggers at the two men entering the room, invited by the sultan himself.

“Your grandeur, don’t you think it a bit premature to invite these strangers into the palace without further ado?”

Yugi’s grandfather, now sultan, waved him off from the side. “Come on, Kaiba. It is our duty to welcome Prince Heba and his right-hand accordingly! After all, the prince is here to court my lovely daughter, is he not?”

At the mention, Yugi scratched the back of his head nervously, and Atem cleared his throat, nudging him gently. The prince regained his composure and stood a bit taller. “Yes, dear sultan, I would love the opportunity to meet with your daughter. I hear she is quite beautiful.”

“That is a rather generic and bland way to describe a person, if I must say so myself.”

Both Yugi and Atem turned around to face the newcomer that was joining them in the room. Atem’s life, both work and personal, was filled with a majority of man and only a handful of women who had truly made an impact on him. Ishizu Ishtar was one of them.

She was this gorgeous tanned skin woman whose poise and elegance were commanding as she entered a room, and she was a fierce business woman to boot. He knew Yugi had also met her because they had both been on the board meeting that day when she had come in for a possible partnership between Kaiba Corp. and her company. She had managed to reach a very comfortable spot amongst a world mostly led by men, and he had an immense respect for her and her ethics. Mind you, he also knew her a bit more personally as she was his coworker’s, Malik, older sister, and they had had the pleasure to get to know each other outside of work.

It did not surprise him at all that she would assume the position of the princess in this reality. He was starting to get use to seeing familiar faces around them as they shifted. However, Yugi seemed to tense immensely next to him. He had to try to alleviate the situation before it spiraled down.

“I believe what Prince Heba meant to say was that your beauty has been the subject of many talks around the world we have traveled. It would be quite bold of him to assume anything else about you yet.”

Ishizu raised an eyebrow at his comeback, seemingly a bit impressed at his retort. However, she would not let go that easily. “Is your prince unable to form his own flattery he resorts to you doing it for him?”

Atem felt the slap of a perfectly well thrown riposte as Yugi seemed to tense even more next to him, but he found the strength and the presence to reply on his own this time. “Pardon me, princess, I was momentarily at a loss of words. Beautiful does not do you justice at all in the end. We will have to make sure the words get around that Agrabah’s princess is nothing short of breathtaking both in appearance and in wits.”

Ishizu’s eyes did not betray any emotion at all from Yugi’s carefully chosen word. Atem had to agree that was quite a good comeback of him, but it seemed they would have to do much better to get the attention of princess Ishizu if Yugi was going to woe her.

“And I have yet to see anything impressive on your part, Prince Heba.”

And with that short, but whiplashed reply, she spun around on her heels and exited the room, followed by her servants, guarded like she always was in her golden prison.

“You see, my sultan, another wasted afternoon to a foreigner whom your daughter rejected easily,” Kaiba offered the flabbergasted ruler that had simply fallen on his throne, dejected.

“Oh hush, you have yet to give him a chance also,” the sultan countered. He then looked at the prince with a mix of embarrassment and affectation. “Just give my daughter some time, I could arrange for another meeting tonight if you want.”

“That won’t be necessary, your highness. I would not want your daughter to feel pressured into accepting my affectations. I will think upon a way to make her see I mean well,” Yugi offered with a bright smile, the one Atem knew had reassured many people in their own reality.

They both then bowed to the royal and his emissary and left to handle how they were going to handle the rest of their story in this reality. As soon as they had reached the side residence they were assigned for their stay, Yugi sighed audibly before flopping on a plush sofa and hiding his face under his hands.

Atem sat across from him on a cushioned chair. “I think you might need to work of those seduction skills a bit harder…”

The other grabbed a pillow and stuffed his face in it. “I know that, but this is much harder than it looks, okay?!” he heard from under the cushion.

The now tanned man looked at his companion and sighed at his turn. “Why? I mean, Ishizu is a very attractive woman, you can surely find solace in that.”

Yugi pulled the pillow away from his face and glared daggers at Atem. “I did not say she wasn’t, she’s just… intimidating.”

Atem could not help but snicker at him. “You mean a strong willed opinionated woman with a brain?”

The paler man sat up on the couch, his face already flushed. “Exactly! It’s like if I was trying to seduce…” he hesitated before adding. “I don’t know, like a feminine version of you!”

For a second, Atem could not find the words to reply to that, but his very witty persona helped him build a comeback. “I don’t know whether you mean that as an insult or not.”

Yugi groaned in annoyance at the other. “I just implied you were smart, stop fussing around! On second thought, I take that back. Seducing Ishizu is the complete opposite of just entertaining this friendship with you.”

That comment suddenly upped the underlying tension that had crept up on them. Atem was reminded of all these years of irritation between them that could not just simply disappear. He thought they had somewhat make some headway, but it seemed that there were still things that had been pushed aside and that they would eventually need to deal with them, whether they wanted to or not.

He did not want to leave Yugi to deal with this whole thing alone, but he also did not want to be on the receiving end of his annoyance at the moment. “Do you want my help or not on this?” he snapped involuntarily at the other.

Yugi was now as on edge as he was. “No! I’ll handle this one on my own, okay!”

The friendly banter was officially gone, and Atem would never admit it out loud, hell, he was barely able to admit it to himself, but he felt a pinch at his heart from Yugi’s reaction. And he did the only thing he knew how to do in these moments. The walls went back up in a flash and he retracted behind them. “Fine then, go and make Ishizu falls in love with you, I’ll go chill in my itty bitty living space.”

In a puff of purple smoke, he was back inside the safety of the lamp, leaving Yugi to deal with the rest by his lonesome self, feeling awful again at having to wait to be called upon for help, unable to let go of this feeling of uselessness.

***

It felt like hell being stuck in the lamp, not because of the cramped space and the utter boredom that came with it, but mostly because he was alone with his irritation and confusion. He might have ran away from a confrontation with Yugi, but he could not run away from his own mind twisting his words, replaying the situation over and over, and how he could have just tone it done a bit if he had not been too proud not to.

If he had to be honest thought, Yugi had been acting strange in this dimension also. Atem thought he would have been happy as the prince, acting all charismatic, being the hero of the day like he was back in their reality, in some sort. Yugi would always be the one to volunteer on a project, to offer his help on the side, to smile his way through situation with his sunny charm and disposition. Being a prince seducing a princess was nothing that remotely far away from what he did as a Kaiba Corp. representative, so why was he being so difficult about this?

Atem did not want to throw a tantrum, although he was at the perfect spot to do so. He believed he had taken a few steps towards Yugi in the past few realities, even opened up himself to have fun with him, which he could have never imagined at the beginning of the journey. It surprised him, scared him a little at how comfortable they had gotten at some various points, but it had also felt very good to let his guard down.

He kept telling himself that he should have known better. He barely knew anything about Yugi and, for all he believed, this could also still be part of this perfect boy act that the other seemed to play. However, his own mind was not as convinced as it had been about that fact before. It was not true he did not know the other; he had seen this vulnerable side that Yugi insisted on keeping away from him. He had seen this hardworking man push his own limits and show his willingness at working with Atem, not just ignore and push him away.

He had also noticed the side-glances, the clouds that loomed about every now and then in Yugi’s big bright eyes. A part of him wanted to know more about it, but another part was apprehensive of what he would learn if they ever burst out into a storm.

The most terrifying thing about all this what that he knew what he could learn could also make him care about the other more then he ever intended to. And he did not want to risk caring that much. Not when caring meant… well, something he was not keen on revisiting.

A cloud of smoke enveloped his feet and he was pulled out from the safety of the lamp into the outside world, torn away from his disconcerted mind. Once again, he met with darkness and took a few seconds to get his bearings right.

It also felt very… humid?

He quickly spun around to notice Yugi, chained to a large rock, hands tied behind his back. He was trapped at the bottom of the ocean, his eyes closed and minuscule and almost absent air bubbles coming out of his mouth, no more able to struggle to get free. The lamp laid on the sand, a few feet away from him. How he had managed to rub it was beyond understanding, but Atem did not even think twice about anything else and acted. With inhuman strength, he broke the chain and flew them both out of the water as rapidly as he could.

Yugi still was not responding when he laid him on the ground and he promptly went to work at pressing his palms against his chest to kick-start his breathing again. As the seconds passed by, Atem felt the guilt of having let Yugi alone for so long. He should never have let his annoyance get the best of him, he knew things in these realities could get tough, and he should have remembered that something could happen to Yugi if Kaiba’s vizier decided he had had enough of his presence. He knew Kaiba to be the evil guy in this reality, and the lengths he was willing to go to get his place on the throne, and he had completely pushed it aside in his squabble with Yugi.

Water spurted out of Yugi’s mouth after only a few pushes and Atem felt a tsunami of relief wash through him. He help the other ease back in the present, his hands on him reassuringly. “It’s okay, you’re okay, just breathe…”

Yugi took in a few deep breath after coughing up all the water in his lungs and his fingers dug into Atem’s bare arms, holding on to him for stability. His hair was clinging to his face, his violet eyes wide, but filled with life, which was the most important thing right now. He rested his drenched forehead against Atem’s warm chest, gulping the air he was denied not even a few minutes ago. The blue man did not say anything as he waited for Yugi to come back from his nauseating experience, and he had to admit that he had been deeply scared until the other had finally regained consciousness even if he had been absent for less than a minute.

The longest minute ever in his mind.

“You’re still shirtless,” he heard mumbled against his chest, heated breath coming out on it in a steady rhythm now.

“And you’re still insufferable, what’s new?” he replied, grateful that Yugi was back to his regular state.

A daunting idea formed in the back of his head and he fought with all his might the urge to hug Yugi at that exact moment. It would have probably felt really good, to hold his cold wet frame against him, to bring back some heat into his shivering body, to be the one to offer him comfort, but he just could not do that. He did not want to think more about the emotions that had brought this urge, and quickly tied it to the fact that one of them had once again faced a threatening situation and survived.

That was, after all, the only logical explanation to this. The only one he would accept.

“We have to get you into something dry,” he offered Yugi.

Yugi’s head moved in a nodding gesture on his skin. “In a moment, yeah. But right now, we have to go get the puzzle piece.”

Atem pulled away ever so slightly to be able to look into the purple eyes of his companion. “What are you talking about?”

The paler man straightened up, finally giving Atem’s mind some much needed room to breathe. “The piece, I saw it as Kaiba asked his goons to throw me into the ocean to get rid of me,” he explained. “It’s inside the top of his snake scepter.”

Atem nodded at his turn, his eyes filled with understanding. “How do you suggest we get it?”

Yugi pushed his bangs out of his eyes and recounted the details of their present reality. “If I remember the movie correctly, he’s currently hypnotizing the sultan to convince him to let him marry Ishizu. I’m supposed to barge in there and break that staff. We have to hurry.”

For a moment, the genie hesitated, almost reaching to touch the other’s shoulder. “Are you sure you’re okay to do this?”

Yugi’s smile, althought still a bit weak, graced his lips. “I’m fine, Atem. Really.”

Understanding turned into resignation as Atem smiled back. “Then let’s give this vizier a piece of our minds, shall we?”

Once again, Atem took a backseat to the action and let Yugi take center stage, but he did not retreat into the lamp. He morphed into a blue scarab and hid into the lapels of Yugi’s emerald jacket. It was still pretty wet, but he did not mind at all. This time, he wanted to be there in case things went south, not just arrive on the spot, almost too late. The prince jumped on the flying carpet, the monkey on his shoulder and flew up to princess Ishizu’s balcony, entering her bedroom just as the sultan was declaring that Kaiba would marry his daughter the very next day.

“And here I thought the princess could choose who she wanted as a husband, isn’t that right Kaiba?”

Atem was glad that Yugi had somehow been able to tap into his persona and his own personality to finally let the hero in him out. Kaiba recanted as he saw the prince alive and well, and Ishizu’s face regained some colour at the sight of Yugi. She immediately went to him and grabbed his hand, which Yugi squeezed back in reassurance. “Heba, I don’t understand, my father-“ she quickly spurted out.

“-is beging hypnotized by his own right hand.” Yugi provided the answer to what was really happening. “Kaiba’s been plotting against your father all along, Ishizu.”

As any good gentleman would do, Yugi pushed the princess behind him to protect her from whatever assault Kaiba could launch against them. Atem watched this happening from his hiding spot, and once again, mentally complimented Yugi on his impressive acting skills.

The vizier grabbed the sultan by both shoulders, his staff’s snake eyes glowing an unmistakable bright red for a nanosecond. “Do not listen to him, your grandeur. I would never do such a thing, I have but your best interest at heart.”

The prince stepped away from the princess, making sure to however stay between her and the threat that was the sorcerer. “You mean, your best interest, Kaiba!”

Kaiba finally let go of the sultan and faced Yugi fully, completely oblivious to Yugi’s plan to grab his staff as the genie and him had talked about on their way here. From his vantage point, Atem could now clearly see the golden puzzle piece encrusted into the snake’s head on the scepter. “Stay out of this, you mingling nuisance!” he replied, brandishing his staff towards Yugi menacingly.

Atem saw the tiniest of smirks appeared at the corner of his coworker’s lips and knew he was about to go for it. “You tried to kill me, I will not stand idly by as you play with the sultan’s mind!”

In a very swift and agile fashion, he wrestled the staff from the vizier’s hands and swiped his foot under the other’s legs, quickly bringing him to the ground. As soon as the scepter was in his hands, he smashed it against the marble floor, breaking the magical rubies controlling the sultan’s mind as well as dislodging the puzzle piece from its head. Atem in his blue scarab form quickly flew and lifted the piece with his tiny claws and hid back into the jacket, out of sight.

Soon after, Kaiba disappeared into a puff of black smoke, evading the guards that had been trying to catch him before he fled the scene. The sultan was back into his right set of mind and Ishizu was pulling Yugi against her softly. Atem could feel the heat irradiating from Yugi’s skin and he could easily guess the other was probably blushing furiously. Explanations were offered about what had just transpired. Then the sultan noticed the loveable connection between her daughter and prince Heba, and declared they were to be married as soon as possible. Atem swore he heard the gulp in Yugi’s throat before he agreed, but also excused himself for the night, proclaiming a need to rest after the events of the evening. Ishizu managed to kiss him gently right at the corner of his lips before he left, reigniting his blush. Atem found it quite amusing, at least, that’s what he called the emotion that ran through him at the tender gesture.

Once they were out of sight, Atem transformed back into his humanoid genie self, the puzzle piece between his fingers, grinning at Yugi. “That was some good work back there,” he congratulated the other. “I don’t know how you were able to be smooth enough to win Ishizu’s heart over the course of an evening, but call me impressed.”

Yugi’s blush was slowly dissipating from his cheeks and he chuckled. “I did say it was going to be hard, not impossible,” he provided, winking.

Atem found it strange and unnerving again, how they could be so comfortable with each other one minute, than back at being on edge the other. This whole ordeal was having quite an effect on his brain and he did not know how long he could handle it without addressing the issue directly. He would surely not do it now, but he knew this whole thing would eventually start to crumble and explode if he was not more careful about his own thoughts.

The light glow of the puzzle piece illuminated the darkened hallway they were walking in and they halted right in the middle. “Again with the enigma, huh? I guess we must be done here then…,” the blue man pondered aloud.

Yugi smiled up at him, but his eyes held as many questions as Atem’s. “Too bad I did not get to kick Kaiba’s butt more. I mean, who wouldn’t want to kick their boss’s butt once in their life, right?”

Atem offered him a smirk and took the opportunity to tease him a bit further. “We could stay longer, you know. You get thrown into the frozen tundra, battle a giant snake sorcerer, get married…,” he enumerated.

Yugi shook his head rapidly. “Nope. That’s a definite negative. Let’s get out of here.”

The warmth of Yugi’s palm against his own as he grabbed it for the shift made it hard for Atem to breathe as darkness claimed them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just in case you haven't guessed it, this was based on Aladdin hihi!
> 
> I would like to thank my collab in crime for laughing with me about some of these ideas, and just gushing about them with me as they come! You are a wonderful individual Pants, and the world should know it!
> 
> And yes, the boys still have some adjusting to do, I mean, I can't let them off that easily!
> 
> See you soon!
> 
> My [Tumblr](https://xauroraxborealisx.tumblr.com/)


	11. Nemesis

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 10 - Pirates
> 
> It is very late here, but I wanted to post this chapter anyway.
> 
> I had this chapter set in my head for quite a while now, I'm happy it is now complete! <3
> 
> I hope you will enjoy it, it was pretty fun to write hihi!

“Captain, sir. We’re still awaiting your orders.”

Atem did not know what destabilised him more from the active assault on his senses. He had not even opened his eyes yet that everything seemed to crash into him.

There was a saltiness and wetness in the air he could taste against his lips. There were cries of what he assumed to be seagulls over his head. There were waves rocking the very surface he was standing on. And finally, when he blinked, he saw the immensity of a blue sky over him as the magnificent ship he was at the head of was heading for docking on a small island. Both of his hands were settled on a sturdy wooden rudder.

He glanced down quickly at himself and smirked. He could not help but think for a moment that he thought he looked quite good in his ensemble of long black boots, brown breeches, white shirt and black vest, rounded up with a long luscious frock coat in a deep crimson with golden embroideries. He could not feel any type of hat or headgear, but he could however sense the pull on his hair indicating him that it had been tied back up, except for the ever present bangs that never made it inside any ponytail.

When his eyes lingered back up, he did a double take when they met the rudder on which he had thought both of his hands to be. They technically were, but one hand was human, the other was a shiny silver metal hook cradling the side of the wooden wheel.

“Well ahoy, shiver me timbers, that’s a pirate’s life for me,” he whispered under his breath.

He had not notice the woman beside him before this one answered back. “I don’t understand Captain. You want us to break into song?”

Atem almost let go of the rudder in surprise and shook his head. It was getting easier to tap into a persona now, get into the groove of things and act, so he managed to get into character faster and reply. He turned to face who had addressed him and was pleasantly surprised at whom it turned out to be.

Next to him stood one of his childhood friends, a young woman with tanned skin just like him, dark brown hair wrapped in a messy braid coming out from under a blue distressed beanie, and bright blue eyes shinning with the sunlight reflecting in them. Mana had always been a beautiful girl, but her whole pirate outfit gave her a mischievous edge that suited her very well. She had on a pair of dark blue pants, a cream long sleeve shirt as well as a cropped mustard yellow vest. However, it was the confused smirk on her lips that brought back memories of the pranks they had pulled so often together when they were younger.

“No, you… miscreant. I’m just talking to myself,” Atem said trying to sound bossy and confident, and to his surprise, it was much easier than he thought.

The confusion in the smile dissipated, and was replaced with playfulness. “Something you seem to be keen on these days Captain.”

Atem found it easy to talk to her, like he always had, and it seemed to suit his role here too. “Well, what can I say? I’m great company,” he countered with a cocky smile of his own.

“Can’t argue there, Captain sir,” she replied, nudging his shoulder.

“Captain?” another voice interrupted.

Both of them turned around, and Atem faced another member of the crew, probably a meaningless character in their tale since Atem could not replace his face anywhere. “What?” both he and Mana answered, strangely equally annoyed.

“We have a visitor,” the sailor, quite dumb looking actually, answered.

Before Atem could ask about this sudden new addition on their boat, he heard a familiar voice call out from over their heads.

“Ahoy, Captain Atem! Lovely day for stirring trouble, don’t you think?”

When he lifted his eyes, a flow of conflicting emotions ran through him, a mix of his persona and his own he guessed. He could perceive his own amusement and reassurance at the appearance of his guest, but there was something much more treacherous underneath: a brewing of frustration, annoyance, and something else deep and mysterious he could not put his finger on.

Up there on the very top of the boat mast, balancing himself expertly like a flying ballerina was Yugi, dressed the part of the hero in this story he could recognize quite well now. His coworker was clad in the classical green tones of Peter Pan, but it had somewhat merged with the fact that Yugi was an adult, not a budding teenager. He wore tight forest green pants tucked in brown leather boots, and a hooded sleeveless shirt that hugged his upper body in the same colour tone. Instead of a belt, he had on a crossbody harness against his chest where daggers were holstered. His arms were bare expect for a leather bracelet on one wrist and a thin leather strap on both his biceps. His hair was once again up in a ponytail, giving him that boyish look Peter Pan always had about him, and a few red feathers fell in cascade from the string fastening his hair together.

From the wicked smile on his face, Atem could tell Yugi was having a blast as this character. And two could play at that game.

“Why don’t you get down here so we can appreciate its loveliness together? You know, like real men…” he started, but then added on after a short pause. “Oh wait, real men don’t coward from a fight by flying away.”

Yugi retaliated with a bantering comeback of his own. “Now, where would the fun be if I made this challenge easy for you, Atem?”

Unlike in other realities where he could easily distinguish what was his and what was his persona, in this one, it was quite chaotic in his mind and it seemed the persona was fighting him over control. But so far, it was mostly an unharmful exchange, so he indulged it. “Get off my ship, boy! I don’t have time for your games today…”

The flying mischief couldn’t help but keep the taunting going. “But I thought you loved games! You disappoint me…”

He felt the shift, the persona pushing him towards a course of action, the real captain’s irritation swirling around his mind and body. His hand reached for a sword sheathed at his waist and with expertise, he send it flying towards Yugi, and for a second, he held his breath at what he had just done. However, it was released as he noticed that, even if the action may have looked like lethal to the untrained eye, he had not aimed for Yugi specifically, but for the mast right under his feet.

The sword connected with the wood with a deep thud and a whoosh reverberated as the blade dangled back and forth from the impact. The man of top of the mast simply tip-toed on the sword like it was nothing, still keeping his graceful balance like a trained dancer.

Yugi smirked down rascally. “Missed me. Loosing your aim, old man?” he teased.

A devilish smile appeared on the corner of the captain’s lips. Atem felt like he should try to rein in the persona, but it felt freeing to just let it be, to just let go.

No, this persona felt addicting.

The words came out of his mouth swiftly like a gigantic wave engulfing the tiniest boat. “Believe me, if I wanted to skewer you, I wouldn’t miss.”

What happened next completely flabbergasted him. Yugi instantly lost his delicate balance on the sword and started falling fast towards the ground. Halfway through his fall, he regained control of his flight and went back up out of reach of anyone. He risked a glance back at Atem, and the captain only saw surprise and confusion in his bright purple eyes. But the most astounding thing what the bright red hue covering his cheeks as he bolted out of there without adding anything, leaving Atem behind in his surprise.

“What just happened?” Mana asked dumbfoundedly.

Atem shook his head, finally able to reclaim control over the persona. “Honestly, I have no idea…”

And he truly did. Yugi’s footing had probably slipped accidentally, causing his fall and then, he was probably embarrassed and went to hide himself somewhere. He did not believe Yugi to be that much of a proud individual, but he knew Peter Pan was, so there was a possibility the persona was also having this stranger and stronger effect on his coworker here too.

A deck hand dropped the anchor and a few other hoisted a boat into the water to get to shore. Mana turned to Atem, her arms crossed on her chest, as she watched two other pirates go down a cord ladder to the boat, seemingly waiting for her and the captain to join them.

“Captain, permission to speak freely?” she demanded as she motioned for them to retreat from the group.

He nodded in her direction and held up a waiting hand to the two men waiting for them. He sidestepped with her, out of earing range. “Permission granted. What’s up, Mana?”

She dropped her shoulders and sighed. “Why the hell do we have to go through planning a stint to catch Yugi when we could easily try when he comes taunting you every single day?”

Atem gave her a devious smile, the captain’s attitude lingering under the surface oozing through him. “That’s because we need to play the game his way so he thinks he has the upper hand.”

She rolled her eyes at him. “And how does Azusa fits in this again?”

Atem knew he should not ask, but the words still tumbled out of his mouth too quickly to be stopped. “Who’s Azusa?”

The first mate poked him hard in the chest, annoyed. “Atem, you dumb nitwit! We’re going to kidnap the son of the Namur Tribe as we speak, and you- You need to lay off the rum!”

Atem recanted, but pondered over his inebriation state, just in case, it was in fact at play. “I’m not drunk. At least, I don’t think I am.”

She paused for a few seconds and then looked at him more seriously. “Okay, so then explain Azusa!”

At the previous mention of the Namur tribe, Atem could feel flashes on information. He knew he needed to give the persona more control, but he was afraid of letting it take over too much. Howeve, he could use its input on their current situation, so he opened up his mind to it. He saw the shadowed silhouette of another man, dressed in earthy tones, his face splashed with tribal paintings, but he could not make out anything else about the other’s physic.

But the information lined up. He saw that man and Yugi laughing together, gathering berries in the forest, the man of his friend’s back as Yugi flew up in the sky. It seemed this Azusa and Yugi were friends here, and friends of your enemies could provide valuable intel about them. The plan he knew next to nothing about a minute ago started to clear up in his mind.

“Azusa is a… knowledgeable friend of Yugi,” Atem started explaining, “and I need to extract information from him about the whereabouts of that rascal’s hideout."

Mana seemed to catch his drift, but still looked unsure about the whole thing. “And why would you want to catch him on his turf and not ours?”

The excitement bubbled from within him and he felt like an overeager child about to reveal his biggest secret. Once again, he was hit with this liberating feeling, and he wanted to rationalize it, but it felt much more difficult than in any other reality. “Because he won’t expect it, so bam! Surprise attack!”

The blue-eyed girl massaged her temples, like a mother debating between scolding her infant or not. “I don’t know whether to consider this a genius plan or a very moronic plan…”

Atem grabbed her by the shoulders in a friendly hold. He remembered her doing that to him as they were younger in their reality, but he had rarely been the one to initiate it. He had never really been a very forward person in his manifestations of affection, even more so when they were linked to physical proximity.

He cleared his throat as well as his mind. “Are you questioning my intelligence, mate?”

She feigned indignation. “I would never, Captain.”

***

Atem decided his best course of action was to follow the original storyline he had being given, and Yugi would surely pop back. He was a bit vexed that the other had abandoned him back on the ship when they had always tried to stay together as much as they could to help each other out in these realities. Maybe Peter Pan had something else to do before he could regroup with him, or maybe he also had some inkling as to where he could find a puzzle piece. They had barely exchanged a few words before Yugi had fled the scene afterall.

He had a strong suspicion that going through with this plan of kidnapping the son of the Namur tribe’s chief would bring more trouble, but trouble seemed to be the best way to draw Yugi as Pan out of his hiding place. He also should have known that Azusa would be someone he knew since he played a part in their story. He however would not have thought for a second that he would currently be hiding in a sea cave, the water slowly but surely rising below their elevated rocky spot, facing a restrained Malik.

The man had been foraging berries and herbs when they caught up with him, not too far away from his village, but still far enough for the pirate crew to seize him easily in the woods. It was easy to recognize his friend even under all the black and crimson markings on his face, his own violet eyes shining through them. His hair had been styled in a multitude of braids and his outfit reminded Atem of those of forest tribes from fantasy books, made of patched pieces of leather, but creating a coherent ensemble.

The captain sat on another rock across from him and stared into those lighter purple eyes, completely void of any emotion. The tribe member was simply looing back at him, his lips not moving, the only perceivable movement in him the light chest rises from his breathing. He did not seem angry or panicked, just blank and waiting. Atem had first asked a few questions, none of which were answered, and Malik seemed to wait patiently for anything to happen other than the ongoing questionning that was very one-sided.

Atem sighed after a few minutes. “While I don’t mind hearing myself talk, I would really love for you to join in on the chat.”

Silence yet again, except from the breathing of the three people in the cave and the sound of water swooshing in and out, licking the rocks. Mana was standing next to Atem, fidgeting, her patience wearing thin.

Atem tried again. “Anytime now.”

For a brief nanosecond, he thought he saw a flash of amusement pass in his captive’s eyes, but they were back to their neutral hue right after so he thought for sure he had imagined it. He sighed louder again and addressed his first mate this time instead of Malik.

“Is he mute? I don’t remember…” he asked her, still musing the fact.

Mana rolled his eyes at him and couldn’t help the sarcasm from dripping in her voice. “No Captain, he isn’t…” However, there was sympathy is her gaze at what her Captain was trying to do, even if it once again seemed to lead absolutely nowhere.

“Well, he sure isn’t talking,” he replied smugly.

He knew he should have expected some kind of retaliation, but he took Mana’s punch to his shoulder with more surprised than he thought. “I’m going to give you a moment and check the surroundings for any sign of Pan or the lost boys” she said as she climbed down the stone steps to the outside. “You know, let you ponder on the intricate aspects of your marvelous plan.”

And she was gone. Atem let out a breath and was happy for this little alone time. They had been bickering on and off for the whole day, like two old friends that had to tolerate each other on a matter they did not agree on. It was both reassuring and unnerving for his own person. He missed Mana, who had traveled to Europe for her studies of Art History, although he knew it was in her best interest to do so. They still sent each other emails, but the distance was something that had driven them apart after a few years.

It was nice to have her around, even if it was not really her. He made a mental note to reach out to her when this would all be over. But right now, he had more important things to think about, like how to get the Namur Azusa to tell him where he could find Yugi. It was not that he wanted to leave this reality as quickly as he could, but it was the underlying struggle between him and his persona that made him worry about his actions.

He was in a position where he was known enemies with Yugi, and he did not want to let the Captain out and regret it. The last few realities had juggled him around a lot and given him roles that were a lot to handle, and his want to both be himself simply for a while, and to oppositely let someone else do the thinking completely for once, was almost too much to bare. He should just get out of here, tie himself to a tree and give up for a few hours. Maybe that could do him some good.

Yeah, right.

The logical part of his brain told him that reaching out to Yugi would still be his best bet s they could find that puzzle piece to get out of this complex situation. They had never been pitted as enemies before, so he did not know how they were going to find common ground to shift or even work together somehow.

He had walked all the way towards the opening of the cave, breathing in the zesty salted air to try to clear his mind. He felt a headache coming on, from all the thoughts pulling his attention in different directions. He had to refocus on the now instead of everything else.

“Where were w-“

He turned around to face Malik once again, set on getting him to talk, when he noticed his captive was gone. He quickly darted his eyes from side to side, knowing the tribal man could not have gone far from his spot, but he was caught by strong hands and pushed against the rocky wall behind him. He caught sight of the purple eyes right before he felt the firm pressure of lips on his own and a tongue pushing for entrance inside his mouth. He had been so surprised by the action that he found himself completely unable to react for a second, but the other was off him right after that.

Atem brought his hand to his mouth, a coppery aftertaste on the tip of his tongue, and he briefly wondered if the other had bit him. He watched as Malik stepped back, a knowing smirk on his lips, wiping his own mouth.

“Yeah, spicy, just as I expected,” he finally heard from the soft voice coming out of the tribe member’s mouth. It was assured and dangerous at the same time, making Atem reach for his sword at his belt, but before he could unsheathe it, Malik had slipped away from him and headed out of the cave with the agility of a panther. Next to the rock he had been sitting on previously was the rope that had bound his wrists, abandoned.

He regained his senses and went straight after him, but the only person he found was Mana waiting there for him with a beaming smile.

She greeted him with a hand of her hip. “Well, Captain, you were right… for once.”

Atem did not pay her much attention, still trying to catch a glimpse of his fleeing prey. “Wait, Mana, Mal- I mean Azusa just escaped and-“

She grabbed his arm as he tried passing by her in a flurry and managed to meet his eyes as she spoke her next words. “But we don’t need him anymore Captain. Look what bird dropped from the sky!”

She motioned behind her where one of his goons stood with a very special package on his shoulder. His very own Peter Pan was dangling on top of it, unconscious, his wrist bound behind his back, as well as his ankles, preventing him from as much movement as they could. His bangs were swinging from ever step of the man carrying him, handled like a heavy sack on flour.

When had that happened?

At least, he did not have to go search for Yugi now. They would just take him back to the ship and he’d be able to talk to him there, most preferably alone, but that could easily be done he assumed.

“Congratulations on whoever is responsible for that capture! I’ll make sure you get double rations tonight!” he exclaimed happily.

The man carrying Yugi looked at him with a raised eyebrow. Atem corrected himself. “Or you know, we’ll find a good girl or guy to entertain you, whichever you fancy, mate!”

The other pirate opened his mouth to speak and the Captain cut him. “You too, I’m in a generous mood!”

That last comment had both men smiling as they turned around to walk towards the boat waiting for them on the beach next to the cave. Yugi started stirring a few seconds later and he snapped his head up, his eyes meeting Atem’s crimson orbs observing as he was walking behind his goons.

“Well, hello sleepyhead!” he offered as a greeting this his new captive. “How nice of you to join us.”

Yugi’s purple irises lit up with recognition and maybe a slight hint of uneasiness. “Let me go, Atem. You’re not playing fair!”

The Captain tssked him and glided his hook on the pale lightly arched nose. “Whoever said I was in the mood to play this time around?” he replied with a wink.

Yugi frowned at the comment, and Atem briefly wondered if he was facing his coworker or his enemy at this moment. The Captain inside him stirred, signifying his presence once more.

Atem approached the other’s man face closer, his hook lifting his chin to make sure their eyes met when he said his next words. “Besides, you and I have some unfinished business to take care of.”

He heard almost as much a he saw the difficult swallow on Pan’s part, and the flash of unease passed through his gaze again. Atem let go of his face and resumed his presence next to a smiling Mana. “You are going to take your time enjoying this, aren’t you?” she said.

“Aren’t I ever?” he answered, chuckling.

The deck hand deposited Yugi on the boat and the four other pirates took their seat, canoeing to the ship that was anchored a little further. As soon as they boarded, the whole crew shouted in joy as they saw who the pirates had brought back from their short trip. They cheered on Captain Atem as Yugi was dropped unceremoniously on the floor, groaning from the impact. The Captain let the chant continue for a while before hushing the crew.

“Now, if you will excuse me, I will retreat to my cabin and make sure Pan get what he deserves and that we get all the fairy dust we deserve, isn’t that right, mates?”

Another round of cheer erupted as Yugi was picked up from the wooden deck and pushed around until he was face to face with the Captain. Atem eyed him for a second before smirking at his own idea. He swiped his hands under the lighter body of his victim and picked him up bridal style, a deep blush covering Pan’s cheeks from embarrassment. The bounds on his wrists stopped him from even resisting the gesture as he laid helpless in the other’s arms. Atem could see from his expression he wanted to reply something witty, but he held his tongue, probably not wanting to worsen his position at the moment.

“Thank you, oh goddess of the sea, for this wonderful present! A bit late for my taste, but better late than never, hey!” Atem proclaimed as he whirled around and walked down the couple of steps towards the ship’s main cabin, before disappearing behind the door.

As soon as they were away from prying eyes, he put Yugi down on the ground and turned to lock the door behind them. As of now, he was back full mode, the Captain subdued inside him and he faced Yugi once more. He reached a hand and pushed a few bangs aside to inspect Yugi’s head, looking for any wound that might have happened in the past hour during his capture.

“How are you okay? How’s your head, still throbbing?” he asked, worry lacing his words.

Yugi looked taken aback for a second and froze as the fingers brushed against his scalp. “No, I’m… I’m good.”

He winced softly as Atem found a small bump on the side of his head, but it would only bruised, he noticed. There was no blood or cut, so it had not done much damage, and Yugi seemed unharmed in any other way.

“Could… could you untie me now?” he heard the other ask with hesitation.

Atem blinked at him a couple of times. Yugi was usually more affirmative in his demands, but now, he felt almost doubtful. He gestured for the tied man to turn around so he could unbound his wrists first. As he was undoing the knots, he felt the need to reassure his companion.

“Yugi, it’s me. I’m not going to hurt you,” he offered gently.

He saw Yugi nod as he bent down to take care of the rope around his ankles, while the paler man rubbed his now liberated wrists. When he was done and back up on his feet, he took a step back, giving the other some air to breathe he felt was needed.

Yugi instantly started hovering about the ground, as if his instincts were kicking in. He flittered around the room, not too high because of the ceiling enclosing them. Atem just watched him in awe, even if he had seen him flying right this morning. Seeing it up close was something else. And he caught himself thinking that Yugi looked positively glowing and enchanting right this second.

He felt the change in him happening as he allowed himself a moment of weakness. This persona had been harder to control from the beginner, the raw desire to conquer seeping through his own feelings and taking over, making it difficult to keep track of what was his own needs and that of his character.

Right now, both needs seemed to align and the sight of Yugi trapped into the boat cabin like a firefly inside a glass jar made a carnal ache run through his body. The amethyst eyes that looked back at him were filled with apprehension, and Atem could not tell if it was the positive or negative kind, but he would make sure to charge those pools of purple with the same energy he was feeling.

Yugi was floating inches above the ground, no wings flapping behind him, only able to do so from the constant fairy powder he was under the effect of. Atem took a couple of steps to close the distance between them. His hook slinked under the paler man’s leather harness across his chest and pulled him ever so slowly to him.

“Atem, what are you doing?” Yugi breathed, uncertainty lacing his words.

“What do you think I’m doing?” he replied with dark crimson eyes boring into his.

Yugi swallowed, his Adam’s apple straining against his throat. “Something dangerous.”

Atem made sure to keep only a few inches between them. He smirked deviously at the other. “I never would have taken you for someone to run away from danger.”

The hovering man finally let his feet touch the ground, leveling the pirate’s gaze with his own. The shade of it had darkened to a deep violet, interest completely peeked at what was so suddenly happening between them. “Who says I’ll run?”

Atem’s functioning hand pushed them together by pressing on the small of Yugi’s back, earning him a soft yelp that turned into a shaky breath when his lips breathed his answer into a waiting ear. “Hopefully, you won’t.”

With that, he grabbed the earlobe between his teeth and nibbled on it sharply, but not too much. He then proceeded to leave a trail of open mouth kisses down the side of that creamy neck exposed to him, each one of them making Yugi’s breath hitch in his throat. Needy hands reached for the lapels of his jacket, fingers curling around the thick fabric. Atem could not tell if the jerk from Yugi’s hips had been intentional or instinctive, but he could not care less as he left the expanse of skin he had tasted to attack the plump pink lips already opened for him. At the new contact, he heard a wonderful deep moan coming from the other, making the blood rush straight to his groin, and he responded with his tongue diving into the willing mouth he was ravishing.

Yugi’s tongue met his eagerly and that what all it took for things to escalate from here. Atem’s hooked hand as well as his flesh one both wound up under the thighs encased in tight dark green pants and pulled them up, almost disconnecting their lips as Yugi squealed in surprise. The hands that had been attached to his jacket wrapped around his shoulders, fingers pressing into the back of his neck, making sure that their kiss deepened instead of stopped.

The captain guided the captive’s legs to curl around his hips, bringing their core together in a brisk movement, making notice of the other’s arousal slowly growing against his stomach. To know that he was having such a rapid effect on the man in his arms encouraged him forward and, while his hooked hand stayed on the small of his back, his flesh one grabbed a hold on Yugi’s soft butt cheek, pressing his fingers into it and pushing his body into him, creating more friction between them.

Yugi’s lips detached themselves from him with a shaky plaintive groan, his forehead falling to rest on his, his mouth still so close, yet so far in Atem’s mind. His name fell from his lips breathily when the pirate bit his lower lip in punishment from breaking the lip-lock. Crimson eyes met with deep pools of amethysts that were filled with lust and his need to ravish the other once again erased any sensible thought about what they were doing from his mind. He guided him backwards, still holding on to him tightly, and dropped him on the edge of the large wooden desk in the middle of the cabin.

Their kiss resumed messily, lips, teeth and tongues meeting and caressing one another, trying to get as much reaction out of the other as they could. Atem could barely take it anymore, and he wanted to see Yugi could undone, completely lose control, and be the one to lead him there. He pulled away with a wet pluck, a thread of saliva between their mouth, and he took a second to admire the effect their actions had had so far of the paler man before him. His hair was still mostly in the cute high ponytail, but more bangs had started to free themselves for him, frizzing with the humidity they were creating in their own little bubble of carnal desire. His lips were reddened and now glistening from the leftover saliva that had gathered on them, his breath coming in short pants, heavy with need. His cheeks were flushed to a beautiful shade of dark pink. But his eyes were driving Atem crazy, their fathomless depth nearly drowning him in their violet sea.

His hook gently touch the side of Yugi’s face before settling under his chin and lifting it, a shiver running through the seated man who shook under its passage. Nothing was said as the air between them hung heavy with unspoken want. Atem did not know what he was doing, but most importantly, he did not know why he was doing it at all. He needed so much more right now, needed it so badly it made him unable to focus on anything else than the gorgeous man in front of him. For a second, he tried to think this through because it was somehow so wrong to be doing this, so wrong because he did not really know if this was what he wanted.

However, his body had a mind of its own and Atem’s other hand reached for the buttons of the green pants, popping them open one by one, watching the swallowing movement in the other’s throat with each one out of the way. Yugi closed his eyes in anticipation, but Atem tsssked at him.

“That won’t do, lad. Look at me, let me see them pretty eyes…”

Yugi’s eyes slowly opened again, a wishful sigh escaping from his mouth, but they almost immediately snapped back when Atem pushed his good hand down his pants and grabbed his arousal firmly, palming it with heated urge.

“… while I make you feel as good as I can.”

Yugi bit his lower lip so hard to try to keep a loud moan inside that Atem was sure blood would start dripping from it. The pirate really wanted to just swipe his tongue on that bottom lip to sooth it, but he was way too drawn into the half-lidded eyes threatening to close from the pleasure he was causing to actually go forth with that action. Instead, he started a pumping motion, and the moans escaped from Yugi’s lips on their own. However, he soon found he was feeling constricted by the tight pants just opened, still half-entrapping Yugi’s member in their cloth prison.

“Well, that won’t do… Come here.”

He pulled Yugi off the desk for a brief moment, making sure the other’s legs let go of his hips so his feet could touch the ground. As soon as that was achieved, he kneeled ever so slowly, peeling the pants as he descended until his face was inches away the dripping tip of Yugi’s engorged erection.

What was happening? He was about to go down on this man he had kept at bay not that long ago like if it was the most natural thing in the world. He did not behave like that, did not possess such confidence to go through with anything remotely close to what they were both doing right now. Once again, his rational thoughts were shoved right back to where they had crawled up from and he was back into this ecstasy.

Before he did anything to relieved Yugi from his ache, he grabbed both of his wrists and secured them behind his back, enclosing them both tightly in his metal hook. The other’s eyes briefly widened at the motion as he pulled them to set them free, but quickly realised he had no power in doing so.

Atem wrapped his hand around his member, punctuating each of his next words with a deliberately slow tug. “You… look… delicious.”

His hand left the abused flesh to caress the milky skin around Yugi’s hipbone before licking the seeping precum from Yugi’s cock. His eyes glanced up as he did so, watching as the captive’s head fell back in pleasure, his name once again breathed through a throaty shaky moan.

Atem smirked against the throbbing length. “And I dare say you are.”

Without further warning, he descended his mouth fully on Yugi, taking him inches by inches, relishing on every shudder he could feel vibrating from the other. He took his sweet time tasting every single flavour he could distinguish: the saltiness of sweat, the bitterness of precum and a sweetness that was probably Yugi underneath it all.

Yugi.

Yugi, his coworker whom he had an ongoing feud with for the past four years.

Yugi, who was stuck in this unexpected and bizarre journey with him.

Yugi, who had somehow become his friend through all this.

Yugi, whom he was having a sexual encounter with, out of the blue.

Yugi who was so responsive to his ministrations right now.

Too responsive even.

It hit him like a boulder to the face.

Something was terribly wrong, more wrong then what they were doing.

He pulled away quickly, lips and hook freeing Yugi as he backed up from the desk and the man leaning against it. The paler man was looking at him with astonishment, but something was different about these eyes.

“This isn’t real,” Atem whispered. “You’re not real. You’re not Yugi.”

He felt as if someone was kneeling behind him as a voice murmured inside his ear. “Well, well, aren’t you a clever one?”

The person in front of him, definitely not Yugi, just looked at him curiously. “What’s wrong, Atem?”

The voice was still whispering in his ear, and he could not look back to see who it belonged to. He was still struck and hypnotised by what had just transpired. “Yes, what’s wrong Captain? Isn’t this what you want?”

He finally managed to rip his gaze away from the beautiful waiting man in front of him and clumsily turned around to face whoever was responsible for his state in the first place. “You’re messing with my mind!”

Namur Azusa alias Malik was staring back at him with smug purple eyes, a knowing smile on his lips, slowly rising to stand up as he looked down at the man on the floor before him. “Oh yes, I’m not going to argue with that.” He leaned back down and grabbed Atem’s chin roughly, forcing him to look at him. “But the real question here is: why aren’t you just playing along?”

Atem did not know whether to be terrified or angry, but mostly he felt so vulnerable it scared him more than the presence of Malik in his cabin. “I can’t,” he only replied.

The tribal man pulled him to a standing position and forced him to turn around, his hand still firm on his chin to direct his gaze to this image of Yugi, wanting and waiting, like a perfect picture of consent.

Azusa’s lips were back at his ear again, purring inappropriate suggestions. “Go ahead, Captain. Take what is yours for the taking.”

The Captain closed his eyes and swallowed. “But this is not what I want…” he answered, shakily, still overwhelmed by everything happening.

Another whisper in his ear. “Are you sure about that?”

And for the first time, clarity hit him and his answer was just the one he knew to be true. “I don’t know what I want, but it’s not that. Not like that.”

The hands on his body were gone in a flash, and the voice was not as close anymore, but still as daunting when it spoke its last words. “I see. Well tick, tock, Captain. Time’s up anyway.”

Things started blurring around him, the false image of his friend disappearing and then the rest of his surroundings fading into darkness, as he heard someone call his name over and over again, in a soothing tone.

_“Atem.”_

_“It’s okay.”_

_“You’re okay.”_

He blinked and, when he opened his eyes, his eyelids felt heavy and he seemed almost feverish. A gentle hand was brushing away a few wet bangs from his forehead and he could tell he was laying down. Quickly remembering the past events, he tried sitting up and another hand rested on his chest, pushing him back into his previous position.

“Woah there, easy Captain.”

There was a tinkling sound in the air for a few seconds, before the familiar voice spoke again.

“No, he’s not going to hurt me! He’s probably just very confused right now.”

Like tiny belts jingling into thin air, the sound repeated itself, like a mysterious melody. He opened his eyes again, trying to get a sense of what was happening around him. Yugi was seated on a makeshift wooden chair next to him, while his own body was laying on some sort of elevated cot. He frowned when he noticed his coworker was arguing with a blinking light.

“I know he’s supposed to be the bad guy, but you have to trust me on this! At the moment, he is not, alright?”

It was not really a blinking light and the facts of the reality they were in made him realised WHO Yugi was actually talking to. He could not make out the features of the creature flickering around the other, his vision still adjusting to his present surroundings. He closed his eyes again, trying to get his bearings.

“Atem?” Yugi’s voice brought him back again, and when he looked up, his friend was way too close for comfort at the moment. He recanted, scrambling away until he was seated with his back against a wall he felt was akin to tree bark.

“How the hell did I get here? Where is here? Where’s Azusa?” he prompted all at the same time, his mind struggling with everything, his breathing uneven.

“You mean Malik?” Yugi answered, eyebrows coming together quizzically.

Atem could only nod as he went for his knees, hugging them to his chest, trying to keep every little inch of himself away from Yugi. He felt miles away from the confident Captain he had been what it seemed mere minutes ago to him, and back to just being him without any support. His jacket was gone, he could see it hanging from a hook opposite him. Speaking of hook, his was still there, replacing one of his hands, feeling ever more out of place on his body right now.

Yugi looked at him with worried eyes, but after a moment, started explaining the elements missing from Atem’s mind. After he had left Atem on the boat, he had floated around the island, searching for clues and the whereabouts of the puzzle. He left out most details of his search, which annoyed Atem somehow, but he was still juggling with what had happened from his point of view so he let it go. Then, Yugi had come upon Malik, as he was heading back to his hideout, who told him he had just escaped the clutches of Captain Atem who seemed very keen on finding Pan, and had used him as bait.

The funny thing about it is that Malik had not seemed at all bothered by anything, but he had handed Yugi a vial of reddish liquid without much explanation other than it could be useful if he chose to use it. Yugi had poked the other for more information, but all he got was that the tribe member had decided to give the Captain the trip of his life. He vaguely indicated that he had left him to fend for himself while he was high on whatever he gave him.

Atem unconsciously brought his hand to his lips and remembered the coppery taste after Malik had assaulted him with his own mouth. So nothing after that had really happened then, from Yugi’s capture to what they had started in his cabin. He felt both relieved and ashamed at what his mind had conjured up. He wanted to hide under the covers until he could erase it all from his mind, but he knew he would not have that luxury.

And there was such a minute part of him that keep whispering how he had enjoyed some of it.

He groaned, hiding his head behind his knees.

“Atem?” Yugi said, concern dripping from his voice.

“So you were not kidnapped by my crew and I did not…?” Atem started, but thought better than to continue.

“You did not what? You hallucinated I was taken by pirates?” the other asked.

“Nevermind. Just… care to explain the rest of your tale while I wallow in self-pity?” the pirate muttered, still hiding from Pan.

“Yeah, about that… hum, meet Bakura.”

At the mention of the familiar name, Atem lifted his eyes to meet with the cause of the flickering light from before. He finally was able to put features on the fairy character, and almost choked on his own saliva when he recognized the angry and annoyed face one of Kaiba Corp’s most cutthroat member of their legal team, Bakura. People tend to quiver in their shoes at the mention of his name in the company, but Atem could appreciate the effectiveness of his technics. He also had a strong suspicion something was happening between him and Malik behind office doors, but he had no tangible proof of that… expect for the heavy sexual tension when they were both in the same room.

He blinked and tried hard to hold the smirk that was building on his lips. “Well, that is a surprise. Quite funny actually.”

Bakura kicked his forehead, but the force in his tiny leg was barely enough to cause him to flinch. Yugi chuckled and scratched his neck. “I wouldn’t say that if I were you. He can get quite feisty. Anyway, you should be thankful he got me to you on time.”

“What do you mean?” Atem voiced.

Yugi went on to supply the rest of his story, how he and the fairy had searched the island as fast as they could for any sign of the Captain, the flying man worried about what could have happened to him. Bakura had noticed his two goons as well as Mana near the sea caves, and led Yugi to them. He had managed to trick them away easily and head into the cave to find Atem laying on the floor, the water already reaching past his waist. He was completely delirious and barely conscious. Yugi had instantly pulled him on his back and flew him to his hideout, Bakura tinkling his disagreement at his actions all the way back.

The other had then managed to make him swallow the antidote he immediately linked to Atem’s feverish state, and had waited until it took effect. As he was going on about this part of the story, he had started nervously playing with his fingers and his eyes did not meet Atem’s anymore. He did not know why he did it, but Atem reached across the bed to steady the trembling fingers and Yugi’s head snapped back up.

And Atem felt again this urge to pull the other into a hug to reassure him.

He pulled his hand away for Yugi’s as if it was fire burning him. No, he could think like that, not after what had not really happened, but had still attacked his mind nonetheless. He retreated back into his position and watched as the emotions fluttered around in the pools of violet looking back at him. Once they settled to something a bit softer with a lingering touch of disquietude, Yugi finished his tale.

“Anyway, something very interesting also happened. I was too preoccupied to notice at first, but you were clutching something in your hand and refused to even pry your fingers to let it go. I guess when the antidote kicked it, it allowed your muscles to relax and this,” he provided while fishing for something from a pouch on his harness, “felt from your hand.”

Atem was now looking at the familiar shape of a piece of puzzle in the palm of Yugi’s hand.

“Care to explain how you found it?” the paler man asked.

“I have no idea…” Atem mumbled truthfully.

He could not even explain the presence of the puzzle piece in his hand, and he did not think that Azusa, actually Malik, had left it behind for him. These little buggers of trinket seemed to appear whenever and wherever they wanted, as if they had a mind of their own. However, he was glad they had found it. They just had to work on making it glow now.

He reached for the piece but his fingers hung right above Yugi’s hand. Taking the piece meant touching Yugi again and his whole body heated up at the thought. He was not ready to do that yet, however his body seemed to craved for the contact as much as he mind wanted to forget how Yugi’s skin had felt against his, even if it had been all just in his mind. It was all so illogical and confusing, and he absolutely did not need this right now.

“Atem.”

The tanned hand withdrew back into its spot on his knees, but he risked a glance up at the eyes questioning him.

Yugi swallowed, but kept going after a few silent seconds. “I know you might not want to talk about it, but I’ll ask anyway. What did you see when you hallucinated? What happened inside your head?”

Atem felt as if he was looking at Yugi without seeing him really, his eyes completely blank. “Honestly, Yugi, I don’t think you want to be inside my head.”

He was then hit once again by the genuine worry he saw in the violet eyes staring at him.

Because Yugi was his friend now, and friends worried for each other. It was as simple as that.

But their friendship was anything but simple from the start.

“Just… you can talk to me,” Yugi encouraged.

But he knew he could not. Not about that. Ever.

“It was nonsense Yugi, just crazed nothings,” he replied.

Yugi sighed. “Okay,” he let out. “But I don’t believe you.”

Atem knew he needed to close the door before the other nudged it open even more than it already was. “I’m not asking you to. But I’m asking you to let this go.”

Almost in a shocking twist, Yugi nodded and smiled, although there was still a tint of sorrow behind that brightness. “Alright, I will.”

The Captain found himself feeling very grateful at Yugi’s acceptance and he felt the tension in his shoulders ease up a little. He rested his head against the bark at his back, and, after what seemed a long minute of awkward silence, patted the spot next to him on the bed, inviting Yugi to sit next to him. He was glad the other was careful enough to sit without touching him, probably having notice how much this disturbed him right here and then, being the little wise observing creature he was.

This, he could deal with this. This proximity between them was reassuring.

Without looking at him, he reflected about their recent adventures. “Did you notice we’ve been in children’s movies for the past three shifts?”

He heard and felt the rumble of from Yugi’s chuckle. “Yeah, the television must be stuck on Disney+ or something.”

This, he could deal with this. The friendly banter was safe.

He shook his head and laughed lightly. “You know, I could do without end up in the Lion King…”

Yugi countered with a snickering reply. “I bet you’d sing a great rendition of Hakuna Matata.”

Atem glanced sideways, an eyebrow raised. “Don’t tempt me.”

His coworker-turned-friend glanced back at him, and the easiness of this short interaction wrapped a bandage around his ramshackle heart.

“Is that a challenge, Captain?” he teased with a smirk.

Before he could answer, he heard the tinkling of Bakura’s fairy voice alerting the both of them. They tensed automatically, but when their eyes landed on the flickering creature next to them, he was pointing at another glowing point close to their bodies. Forgotten during their exchange, the puzzle piece had started to emit its soft familiar glow.

Yugi offered his palm to the fairy that landed on it. “What would I ever do without you, Bakura?”

“We’d be in lawsuit hell probably,” Atem muttered.

The magical version of the lawyer stuck out his tongue at him, before spinning around on his tiny heels and flicking his bright white hair while winking at Yugi playfully. Atem stifled another laugh from the very out of character gesture, but noticed the endearment in the gesture towards Yugi. Tinkerbell was affectionate towards Pan, it should come as no surprise that this weird version of the fairy would portray that kind of emotion, even if behind its features was also a ruthless negotiator in their reality.

“Are you feeling better enough to go?” Yugi asked Atem, picking up the golden trinket.

Once again, Yugi’s kind words soothed his nerves. “I am, although I do hope the next reality does not make us enemies again.”

Yugi softly nudged him from the side, keeping the contact minimal in time. “Oh come on, it wasn’t that bad! You were a pretty good Hook in my opinion!”

Atem did not return the gesture, but he did smile smugly with his reply. “And you were an annoying Pan, but I should not have expected less.”

“Come on, asshole, let’s do this.”

The soon-not-Captain-anymore reached for Yugi’s hand, rolling his eyes, activating their shift.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, huh, yeah, there is a reason this fic is rated M now hehe!
> 
> Please don't hate me! I know this is pure torture for some of you, but at least, you're not in Atem's shoes, or boots in this case!
> 
> Side-note, Namur Azusa is a loose arabic translation for Tiger Lily. See, method to the madness heh! Also, I was chuckling very hard at having Bakura's introduction into this fic as Tinkerbell!
> 
> See you soon!


	12. Nuptial

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 11 - Steampunk AU
> 
> So, I have noticed I'd be able to upload one new chapter per week, turning this AU-gust project into something that might easily tumbled into the new year, but hey, I will not care if you don't, dear readers hihi!
> 
> So I'm throwing the boys a bit of a curveball here, you'll see!
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> P.S. I would like to say sorry to all that have been affected by the last chapter, but I'm not really sorry hehehe I'm not being mean, your reactions to it gave me life!!!

For a second, he wondered if they really had shifted because he was once again hit by the smell of salty humid air as he came to. But when he opened his eyes, there was nothing blue about the sky. Actually, there was nothing colourful about anything in his surroundings. He was sitting on a blanket in the sand on a gloomy breezy day and everything seemed gray. He was definitely out of his pirate captain outfit, his new ensemble seemingly the only thing with a splash of colour in the surroundings.

He was now dressed in beige pants, tucked into brown leather boots with brass buckles on the sides, a white shirt, sleeves rolled up to his elbows under a tawny orange brocade vest with a elegant green ascot adorned with a brass pin. He also had brown leather sleeve garters as well as a choker of the same colour and material, matching a tool belt around his hips. His hands were also covered by thin leather work gloves. Suspended around his neck was also a pair of old-fashioned goggles.

A quick glance to his right and he noticed Yugi next to him immediately, sporting a very similar ensemble but the colours were different. He was a mix of sapphire blue and dark grey instead, and his leather accessories were black instead of brown. His hair was hidden by a grey wool newsboy cap and his violet eyes framed by large black square glasses, the whole thing giving him an endearing boyish look. But that was not the only thing boyish about his friend.

Somehow, he had been able to recognized Yugi from some of his hair and his violet eyes, but he could not miss the fact that his coworker seemed to have aged back to his very early teen years, barely fresh out of elementary school. From the way he was staring back at him with the same wide opened eyes, he guessed something similar might have happened to him during the shift too.

“You look barely legal. Probably even not,” Yugi stated, taking notice of his higher than usual voice, a hand coming to his throat, while he tried clearing it.

“You should have a look in the mirror yourself. I don’t even think you’re allowed alone after dark at your age,” Atem retorted, his voice completely wavering slightly from what comes with puberty.

For a second, they were both quiet and then, they burst out laughing from the reality of their current situation. However, their laughter turned into surprise when a string of cooing next to them alerted them to another presence. Nestled in between them was a young toddler, probably barely reaching two years old, blond hair tied in a silly palm tree ponytail and honey-brown eyes, wearing emerald green pants and suspenders with a white shirt and a cute brown bow-tie, shifting his gaze from one of them to the other quickly.

“Are we throwing rocks or what?” the child said.

But he did not really say it, more like babbled it but it was as clear as any spoken words to Atem’s ears. And there was something so familiar about that kid, like a striking resemblance to someone he knew.

“Did you…” he started.

Yugi finished his question and answered. “Understand what the baby said? Yes.”

Atem nodded, still looking down at the cute and innocent child. “And is that…”

He saw the nod from the other as well, probably just as flabbergasted as him. “I’m pretty sure that is Jou. Yes.”

Toddler Jou giggled and picked up a large rock from the ground. “You guys are weird. Let’s play.” He then proceeded to munch the rock, and by some sort of miracle, his teeth sank into it like it was as soft as butter and he turned the rocky morsel in his hands into a smooth throwing pebble.

Atem wide eyes lifted to meet back with Yugi’s. “Where the hell are we?” he whispered.

The other shook his head slowly, shock tainting his violet irises. “Your guess is as good as mine, buddy.”

Before each of them could continue, there was a loud cough coming from the other side of the deserted beach. They had previously been alone on their picnic blanket in this grey sky morning, but someone was walking towards them, someone very serious looking in a three-piece suit with a bowler, all in the same boring and bland brown tone.

“Children. Baudelaires. I’m glad I found you.”

No introduction, just a reach to them. Atem assumed they indeed were the Baudelaires this man was looking for since they were the only ones present. He instinctively picked up Jou from the ground into his steady arms and walked towards the newcomer, Yugi in toe.

“Hello,” he simply welcomed the other politely, still getting used to this very young teenager body and mannerisms.

The man was as ordinary as his outfit, nothing quite memorable about him, except for the way he coughed much too often. His face did not ring any bells, and from Yugi’s expression, he did not recognized him either.

“Ah yes, hello. I’m Mister Poe. From the bank. I manage your parents’ estate.”

“Hello Mister Poe,” Atem replied politely again. “How can we help you on this beautiful morning?”

This persona seemed very keen on politeness, a dire change from his previous trip into bantering land. He adjusted Jou on his hip, the toddler resting his head against his shoulder, but very focused on the man in front of them too. He cooed a few words lowly. “This man is boring.”

Atem decided to ignore him even if he agreed inside. He waited for the answer as to why a man was visiting them on this secluded beach from a bank, when clearly, they were way out of age consent for anything monetary.

“It is a beautiful morning indeed. I have some bad news. Your parents perished into a fire.”

And just like that, the worst news you could ever possibly deliver to some children was thrown at them carelessly and emotionlessly. When the trio of kids did not react from shock, Mister Poe seemed to assume they had not understood what he had just said.

“Perished means died.”

Yugi was quick to reply. “We know what perished means.”

The words that were then said sounded very mechanical and remote to Atem. They felt foreign, and he briefly wondered if it was because he himself could not relate to them, or if his persona was trying to push the emotions down to not get overwhelm by grief. The three of them were to be handed to a guardian until he, Atem, was of age and could then inherit his parent’s money. This guardian was their closest living relative, a renowned actor as M. Poe proclaimed, and was very excited to meet with them. Since they had lost everything in the fire, they would be escorted to his place immediately, although they would be allowed a quick visit into the remains on their old home.

It was probably the fact that they were brothers in this reality, both he, himself and Jou, but as he balanced Jou on his hip once again, his other hand downed to his side and he felt Yugi latched onto it, like grabbing a floating buoy in a restless sea. He squeezed it back, reassuringly. There was affection in the gesture, but it felt very different, more grounding, and he welcomed that warm feeling on this damp and even greyer now beach.

His mind briefly flickered to what had transcended in the last reality, but he put all his strength into ignoring it, even with the physical contact he and Yugi were having. This was not the time and not the same thing at all, at least not to him right now. The sensation was not a burning one, more like a soft pulsing heat that calmed him instead of ignited him. This was different, totally different.

They had but five minutes to walk amongst the charcoaled leftovers of what was once their home in this reality, but there was literally nothing left of value. Atem noticed that, at one point, there had seemed to be a very large study, the largest room in the house really, with walls covered with shelves and shelves of books now charred to pieces.

What Yugi said to him in the car both relieved him into assuming his own confusion, and unnerved him deeply. “I can’t explain why, but this feels as terrifying as Fury Road.”

At that moment, he thanked his persona for seemingly being more mature than his appearing fourteen years old. He felt his protective side take over, with having two brothers to care for here. It felt weird, having been an only child in his own reality, and now this?

“It’s going to be okay. We’ll figure this out. Just like we always do.”

His own reassuring words surprised him, but it seemed to have a slight calming effect of Yugi who was probably having trouble with his pre-teen emotions mixing with his own. I mean, they had basically just lost their parents in this reality, without much explanation, and they were about to meet up with a new guardian who, by the looks of this whole universe, smelled like danger.

“You’ll see, Baudelaire children, Count Siegfried seems very lovely and warm.”

Both tricoloured haired man’s head snapped towards one another. “Did he say Siegfried?” both said in unison, muttered under their breath.

Jou replied in babbles from in between them. “Yes, he did. I don’t like that name.”

“That’s right, little baby. You should be very happy!” M. Poe voiced his approval at what he perceived as just random cooing noises.

“This is bad,” Yugi countered, his voice still low enough to not be heard by their driver.

Atem could only nod in understanding, still processing the fact that they would be soon facing one of Kaiba’s Corp most infamous ex-client. Siegfried von Schroeder had once been a wealthy associate of their company, until his own former employees drew him into a long and perilous lawsuit for embezzlement. Kaiba Corp had cut ties with the man immediately as the news were out, and he remembered Bakura being in a very foul mood for the following months, having to deal with the legal issues without tarnishing their company name. Kaiba Corp had absolutely nothing to do with it, and they had managed to clear their names completely, but Siegfried had tried on multiple occasions to drag them into the mud.

Having to face the man again was going to be a hassle for sure.

“We can do this, alright. You and me and sharp teeth Jou,” Atem assured once more.

This brought a tiny small to Yugi’s face as Jou gurgled happily.

The rest of the ride was spent in silence as they watched the greyish town pass by them until they reached a beautiful house astonishingly covered with childish and warm colours. There were trees filled with blossoming flowers next to an apple one with luscious fruits, a white picket fence, a balcony with a porch swing and a lawn mowed to perfection. At first, Atem looked at it with suspicion, but there was something so genuine about the whole thing that his persona started reacting positively to this new environment, even if his own guard was still up. They all got out from the car and lined up in front of the house as the door opened.

A man in his early thirties came out, his hands filled with boxes of documents, wearing a classic three-piece suit in a gorgeous turquoise and lilac combination. His white hair looked as fluffy as the fur of the softest bunny, and his eyes dripped of inviting milk chocolate. As soon as he saw the three children on the sidewalk in front of his house, he approached them with the brightest smile Atem had ever seen.

Well, not that true. He had seen Ryou smile brightly countless times before, but his persona was filled with joy at the light generated by such a sunny charming man. A thought occurred to him that maybe this reality would turn out to be better than he thought.

“Well, what a nice surprise! What are you three lovely children doing just standing there! Would you like to come in?” he said, dropping the boxes on the ground and brushing the dust of his hands.

Atem shook the hand that was extended his way, still holding on to Jou with his other arm. “Very nice to meet you, hum…”

“Oh, where are my manners? I’m judge Ryou and this is my humble home.”

Yugi, who had been quiet, but smiling youthfully, was quick to reply this time. “I’m Yugi and these are… my brothers, Atem and Jou. Are you Count Siegfried’s partner?”

The change in Ryou’s eyes was immediate. The smile turned into a nervous one, but he did not shy away from them. “Oh no. Count Siegfried lives across the street,” he responded, pointing behind them.

And just from these words, Atem knew that meant the opposite of what he was looking at now. He spun around slowly, Yugi following his movement and he heard the same hard swallow from his childish coworker. The house was a tall dark building that looked almost ready to collapse. The wooden boards were askew, the windows were either grimy from dirt or cracked, the whole yard seemed uncared for with long dried weeds: nothing, absolutely nothing said family friendly about that house.

Poe pushed them towards the uninviting mansion and they walked very reluctantly to it. However, before the bell was rang, there a small light in the dark in the form of Ryou’s voice once again. “Don’t hesitate to visit me, children! I could show you my library if ever you want.”

Yugi’s head whipped to face Atem and he saw a nervous giddiness on it. “Don’t ask me why, but I’m feeling particularly excited at the prospect of visiting a library!” he said trying to content the excitement in his voice.

Atem responded with a soft smile, and turned to face his new neighbour. “We will, thank you very much.”

The sinister sound of the doorbell brought him back to the mansion’s front door, tearing him away from that hopeful thought, reminding him of who they were about to face. The man, Siegfried himself, opened up the door in a theatrical fashion and leaned against it. His pink hair looked dull, void from any shine, and his whole outfit was of terrible taste, a velvety dust rose disaster. He waited in silence, making this whole thing ever more awkward then it was to begin with. He cleared his throat, waving at them while looking at M. Poe.

“Well, aren’t you going to introduce me?”

The banker adjusted his hat and officially presented the count as the children’s new guardian, naming each of them to him afterwards. He looked utterly bored at the whole thing and made quick work of them coming in, waving off the banker just as quickly.

“So where are the rest of their belongings, like I don’t know, their money, their clothes, their money, their toys, their money?” the pink haired man asked.

Both Yugi and Atem looked at each other knowingly. So this was not about charity or anything at all, this was about money. It should not have surprised them, if the Siegried here was anything like the one from their own reality, his love of money was the most important thing in the world. The banker proceeded in explaining that the money was set aside until the eldest of the children, Atem in this case, would come of age. Siegfried seemed very vexed by that answer and eventually unceremoniously kicked the banker ‘politely’ out of the house.

Atem had barely a second to look around the dreary hall and the surrounding rooms that the front door closing echoed menacingly. He spun around, dread filling him as the man approached his trio slowly, but with a dangerous flare in his step. Once again, completely instinctively, Yugi’s hand and his met in a reassuring squeeze, Jou leaning softly against him as if trying to hide from the horrible man in front of them.

“Children, children, children,” Siegfried enunciated each word with more annoyance than the previous.

Atem swallowed. “Yes, Count Sigfried?”

The tall man clasped his hands together in a resonant clap, making the kids shift nervously. “Here is how things are going to happen around here. I’m a VERY busy man with my acting troupe and all, and I do not have time to take care of trivial things like cleaning, laundry, cooking and, well, you,” he explained counting very dramatically on his fingers. “So you will be in charge of, well, that.”

Yugi was the first one to react, his irritation showing easily. “But that is literally everything but taking care of your own personal grooming.”

Siegfried bent to his height, his eyes inches away from his. “I wouldn’t want your hands to mess me up, wouldn’t I?” He stood back up. “What are you still doing standing there? Get to work.” He almost turned away from them, but spun back swiftly. “And you are never to enter my work tower. It is my haven of peace and solitude that shall never be disturbed! Or there will be consequences!” He then left then standing in the middle of the hall, astounded.

Atem could not tell how many hours they spent completing a mile-long list of chores he had prepared for them, using very rudimentary tools like toothbrushes to clean floors and a washboard to do the Count’s laundry. Yugi bit back a few curse words here and there, clearly more affected by his emotions than Atem, who once again thank the fact that his persona was so much more level-headed than he ever was.

He convinced Yugi that, since they had no clue where they were and what they were supposed to do, they should mostly just stand back and follow the course of events for now. They were in no immediate danger per say, no one was out to kill them and no beast threatened their safety. His coworker did not seem to like this solution, but he agreed it was the logical thing to do.

When they had miraculously gone through the list, the Count lead them to a very small room with a leaky roof, a rickety single-bed, a pile of rocks and lots of dust mites. He announced this would be their bedroom and that he had been nice enough to provide it for them, should they ever feel the need to complain about anything. Atem could see Yugi holding back his tongue at the comment.

As soon the door closed behind the Siegfried, Yugi kicked one of the legs of the bed in frustration. “This is ridiculous! Part of me wants to punch the guy in the face, but part of me is actually scared of what he might do to us if I do…”

The bed tethered with a long squeaky noise and Yugi looked at it, as if silently praying it would not collapse from his weak action. Something clicked in Atem’s head and it was almost like he felt the gears turning inside, coming with sketches and designs as if someone was etching them along the very fabric of his mind.

Atem wanted to swear in surprise, but his persona would not allow it. “I think… I can totally repair this.”

He put Jou down on the floor who happily crawled to the pile of rocks, but recanted when he saw how utterly dirty they were. The eldest brother crouched in front of the bed and started pulling at the antique metal frame. His hand instinctively reached inside the pocket of his vest and pulled a blue ribbon, which he used to pull his hair back and tie it elegantly.

“What? How?” Yugi voiced, but then it was like a thought had crawled its way up his own mind and he continued. “Wait, I know… I know you can repair this and I have no doubt about it in my mind.”

“Of course, he can. That’s what he does. All. The. Time.” Jou cooed next to him, trying to get rid of the dust that kept falling from the ceiling unto his tiny nose.

Atem fell into a productive mode automatically. “I saw a toolbox in the basement when we cleaned up, it’s rudimentary, but it’ll do. I’ll need the torn sheets from the laundry room, the wooden planks in the old study, and a couple of pieces from the shed in the yard. Yeah, that should do it!”

The paler man whistled in admiration. “Look at you being all gadgety!”

The Egyptian playfully stuck out his tongue at him. “Chop, chop, I’d like to do this before it gets too dark… Or I could also whip up some custom lamp.”

Yugi rolled his eyes, but his lips were forming a smile. “Don’t get to carried away, da Vinci! One project at a time!”

“He really does do that. All. The. Time.” Jou replied looking at Yugi before reaching out his little hands for Atem to pick him up again.

They gathered all of what Atem had mentioned as quickly as they could, and then Yugi let him work in the bedroom and ventured towards the kitchen to find anything for them to fill their stomach with for a late evening snack. When he came back, Atem was putting the finishes touches to his project and he heard Yugi’s breath hitched as he entered the room.

“You really are quite the prodigy, Atem!” he said, pushing his glasses back on his nose, eye wide with admiration.

The eldest pulled his goggles from his eyes up unto his hair and admired his own creation. Instead of trying to repair the bed, he had created a whole new space that clashed with anything else present in the house. He had nestled the mattress onto wooden planks to keep it elevated from the floor’s humidity, and with used clothing, he had built an extension to it so they could all lay down comfortably. With the metal frame from the bed, pulleys and rope, he had assembled a mechanical tent that hovered around the bed, covering it from the leaky roof. He even had the time to work on that oil lamp he had mentioned, as well as a delicately crafted mobile he had fastened from broken brass keys and gears he had found at the bottom of a drawer in the study. It hung right above the bed, suspended from the make-shift tent ceiling.

“Pretty!” Jou gurgled before munching on a cracker he and Yugi had brought back from their trip.

They all settled and had a very minuscule picnic from the few items they could salvage from the kitchen before laying in bed. The flickering fire from the oil lamp reflected on the mobile, drawing dancing lights above them as the soft snoring from Jou filled the room, sleeping soundly between the two of them. And Yugi and Atem soon followed his example, exhausted by this new reality, but also the toll from all the previous ones.

***

The next morning, Atem woke up feeling disoriented before remembering where they were. He glanced to his side to see both Jou and Yugi still asleep. His breath caught in his throat for a second when he watched the long soft eyelashes fluttering before purple irises glanced back at him. The smile that followed made him forget how to breathe completely.

“Good morning,” Yugi said, his voice a little hoarse from sleep.

Atem leaned onto his persona heavily to be able to reply and breathe again. “Good morning.”

A part of him wanted to linger in this momentary little slice of peace, laying in bed and losing himself into those beautiful eyes, but the persona helped him stay grounded and he turned away from them. He even his breathing as he laid on his back, focusing on the evils they would face from their tormentor instead of the twisting sensation in his stomach.

When they were serving breakfast to the Count, although not really eating it themselves, he asked them to stay and listen quite solemnly. They all stood at the end of the table, Atem balancing Jou on his hip, as Jou seemed to be keen on being in his arms.

“This feels off,” the aforementioned baby cooed.

“Yes, yes, baby, what I’m about to announce is very important! So stop interrupting me already!”

He took a long sip of water before pushing his chair back and standing up, always in a much more dramatic fashion than needed. He walked very slowly towards them, his heels clicking on each step, the sound echoing in the empty dining room.

“What I am about to do will show you how generous I can be. It will be such a great honour that you will probably be floored by my offer.” He stopped right in front of Atem, pulled Jou away from his arms before handing him to Yugi who quickly relieved him of the baby. “You, my dear Assem, will be given a role in my new rendition of a famous play by my troupe!”

The eldest raised an eyebrow. “It’s Atem, Count. My name is Atem.”

Sigfried hushed him and continued. “Potatoes, potatoes! Why aren’t you jumping with joy right now?”

Atem wrestled with himself not to step back from the very invading man in front of him. “Truth be told, I do not think I have the talent to perform such an act.”

The Count flaunted his hands around very theatrically. “Nonsense, it is but a simple love story where I will be portraying a charming young man, and you…” He leaned into him, grabbing his chin. “… my blushing groom!”

He did not know when Yugi had put Jou down on the floor, but he knew he had when his hand swap at the other’s man one on his face. “Don’t touch him!” the middle child growled.

The Count had mentioned a few times already that he did not like to be crossed, but his displeasure had clearly reached a peak when a heavily ringed hand connected abruptly with Yugi’s cheek with such force it sent the young boy tumbling down on the ground and his glasses clattering elsewhere. It did not even take a second for Atem to be at his side, but Yugi shied away from his touch, holding the side of his face. The other could clearly see tears forming at the corner of his eyes, but he did not push him into accepting the support he was offering.

The Count was still talking, flipping his hair over his shoulder, but Atem has completely tuned him out. His fingers contracted into fists and his own personality wanted to go and give the other a piece of his mind in the form of punches, but he knew this was a bad idea. He may have been in the prime of his starting teenage years, there was no way his short stature could compete with that of Siegfried right now.

They were left alone in the room, Jou reaching to cuddle Yugi, empathising with the pain his older brother was in right now, the black pair of glasses now in his tiny hands. Yugi eventually turned his face back around, revealing a cut right on his cheekbone, blood seeping out lightly from it. The tears refused to leave his eyes, but they were still threatening to spill. Atem lifted tentative fingers to Yugi’s face, but he withdrew them sadly.

“We have to take care of that,” he said as the younger one noticed the few drops of red on his own fingers, nodding softly, but still refusing to speak.

The eldest got up and picked up Jou as he always did, but this time, he also extended a hand towards Yugi to help him up. The other looked at the hand, seemingly hesitating a few second before grabbing it shakily and standing up at his turn. His eyes still refused to even glance up at him. Atem weighed his options, and pulled Yugi towards the entrance hall. He opened up the door, feeling the damp morning air outside, relieved to be able to breathe away from the tension caused by their legal guardian.

Yugi just kept following him, his hand loosely held in his, as they crossed the street and entered the beautiful front yard surrounded by that white picket fence. Atem rang the doorbell and very soon, the white haired owner opened up the door.

“Oh, hello again, Baudelaires. Oh dear, what happened to you, Yugi?” he automatically said, while bending to observe the child’s face.

Atem was about to reply for him, when Yugi’s voice came out before his. “I fell down the stairs.”

At first, he did not know why Yugi had decided to lie, but he kept coming back to a very simple fact in this reality: adults all seem to be mean, egocentric or oblivious. Ryou might have been very sweet and nice to them, but it was a careful thought not to involve him in their troubles with the Count just yet.

The man invited them in, producing a first aid kit, but leaving it into Atem’s hands for him to take care of his brother. He offered to set them up in his library that connected with the garden. He then relieved Atem of Jou’s presence, the baby gurgling happily, and left them in the room while he went to explore the luscious offerings of his back yard.

Atem did not have time to gush at the wonderful setting around him, walls filled with books from floor to ceiling, beautiful wooden furniture, plush carpet and a large bay window next to the French doors that lead outside. The eldest got to work after watching Yugi sit down on a cushioned chair. He pulled one right in front of him, the first aid kit on his knees and he got some rubbing alcohol out. He was careful into dabbing it onto the cut and cleaning it, relieved to notice if was not deep and would heal rapidly. However, he could not get away from the fact that Yugi still had yet to acknowledge him with his eyes yet. The distance it created between them was a stark contrast to the closeness he had felt this morning when they had woken up in the same bedding.

The question was on the tip of his tongue one second and out of his mouth the next. “Why did you do it?”

Yugi closed his eyes and sighed, enlarging that distance with this simple act. “Because. I don’t know.”

Atem finished with the cut and put the first aid kit on the floor next to them, wanting so much for these eyes to open back. “Yugi, look at me.”

The younger brother kept his head down now, his fingers clutching at the fabric of his pants. “No.”

The Egyptian once again felt the need to reach out and touch the other, to create this bridge between them. “Yugi…”

Yugi’s head snapped up furiously, his purple gaze finally landing on Atem’s crimson orbs. “He touched you, alright! He did, he had no right to, and my persona reacted!”

The confusion in Yugi’s eyes completely threw him off. He knew what it was to battle with a persona’s strong pull, but this was affecting Yugi very much right now. “You acted on impulse, it happens to everyone.”

As quickly as it had been offered to him, the gaze tore itself from his face and focused on the air beside him. “Yeah, well look where it got me. I got manhandled by a disgusting man with way too many rings for one hand…”

He had been holding himself back from touching Yugi, but he could not anymore. His hands grabbed at the ones strongly closed around the pants in front of him, and like magic, they relaxed against his as they seemed to do here so easily. “For what it’s worth, thank you.”

The tiny smile that Yugi offered him was everything in the world to him right now. He tapped into his persona to stay as grounded as he could, but his own emotions were overwhelming underneath the surface. He was okay with being friends with Yugi, really, but there were other things at play here he was not quite ready to face, like this drugged induced fantasy he had been a part of in the last reality, or the way each of Yugi’s smile, whether playful, sad or genuine, was starting to eat its way through his heart.

He did not want to think about it. He did not want it to happen even. He still knew so little about Yugi, but so much at the same time. He might not have known the intricacies of Yugi’s issues, but this journey that had been forced on them made him discover more about the man than the last four years of them working together. And truth be told, it scared him. So much. Too much.

“You boys seemed to be back in shape, now,” the cheerful voice of Ryou as he entered the library broke his chain of thoughts, and he was quite grateful about it.

Their hands disconnected as they both turned to face their host. “Yes,” Yugi replied. “Just a scratch.”

The judge put Jou on the carpet, who was currently very busy digging his teeth in a humongous carrot. “Atem, it seems both you and I have been offered a great honour. Count Siegfried came to tell me about his new play last night. He even offered me a role at your side!”

Jou spat out a chunk of carrot, mirroring the surprise on both of his brother’s faces.

Atem nervously coughed. “Really? What part are you going to play?”

Ryou took a seat on one of the sofas, brushing away the dust on his pants. He was still all smiles, no worry or anything on his face. He seemed very happy to explain his own role. “Oh simply the judge officiating the two grooms’ union. I’m even bringing legal paperwork and reciting the official words from the law, to make it even more realistic.”

Yugi was the one to ask the follow-up question. “Wait a second… You are going to act as a judge to Siegfried and Atem’s wedding?”

The white haired man clapped his hands enthusiastically. “Yes! Isn’t this exciting? I have always wanted to get into the theater world!”

Yugi and Atem both glanced at each other with unease at this particular situation. Then the younger brother frowned deeply and turned back to face the judge. “Just out of pure curiosity, Judge Ryou, you wouldn’t happen to have any books on nuptial law?”

Ryou blinked a couple of times, but his smile was still as present and honest as ever. “Why, yes I do of course. I have books on about everything. I can take out a few for you.”

He stood up from the couch and started to browse around, picking out a few books and setting them on a table as he climbed up and down ladders to gather all of them. Atem leaned towards Yugi to make sure the judge did not hear them. He had a strong suspicion his previous feeling about the adults in the world was true; Ryou may have been doting on them, but he was completely clueless when it came to the Count’s cruelty.

“What are you thinking about?” he whispered.

Yugi leaned back to keep his voice low too. “I’m thinking this play stinks more than a skunk’s butt! Siegfried is up to something and I’m going to figure out exactly what it is.”

Atem raised a quizzical eyebrow. “By reading books?”

Yugi smirked at him. “You have your talents, I have mine.” He motioned to one section of the library in particular. “I noticed that by the time you cleaned up my wound, I had read all the titles of the book across from me even without my perfect eyesight, and that I remembered each and every single one of them.”

The Egyptian huffed softly, offering back the pair of glasses that belonged to him. “Speed reading and eidetic memory? I’m honestly jealous.”

The paler man put them back up his nose with a smirk. “Can’t let you have all the fun, now can I?”

Yugi left the judge’s house hands filled with books, and Atem hid him in their room for him to browse through it while he did the chores in the house, Jou giving him a helping hand as much as a toddler could. When dinnertime arrived and he was about to serve the Count, he noticed Yugi was sitting at the dinner room table opposite Sigfried. He swallowed, wondering what was about to go down. There was also a flash of pride at the look of defiance in Yugi’s eyes as he stared at their guardian.

“I know what you are up too,” the purple eyed man opened up with.

Siegfried took the cup of hot coffee that was offered to him by Atem, sipping on it as if it wasn’t even burning his tongue. “Now what did I do to deserve such bitterness, child?”

Yugi kept his hardened gaze of the pink haired man. “By having Ryou play your own real judge and everything, you intend to legally marry Atem in your play to inherit our money faster.”

Atem dropped the plate he had been holding. Wait, what? Siegfried wanted to marry him? What kind of fucked up man would marry a child… hold that thought. One that was as obsessed by money in this reality as he had been in theirs. The chill that ran down his spine was the same one that had appeared when the Count had touched him that morning, and it disgusted him to his core.

Siegfried retorted with a bright, but awfully malevolent smile. “What a clever one you are, although annoying at best.”

The middle brother was still firm in his stance, now crossing his arms defiantly across his chest. “But Atem’s not old enough to get married.”

Deliberately slowly, the Count laid his elbows on the table, joined his hands and rested his chin on them, staring straight at the boy who thought he had it all figured out. “ _In parentis loco_ ,” he enunciated very clearly.

Yugi mimicked the man posture, a confrontational smirk on his own lips. “I know what _In parentis loco_ means. You can decide he is fit for marriage as the acting parent. But you still can’t force him to get married.”

Atem was watching the exchange with awakened senses. He still could not believe they were actually discussing this very topic. He could feel his nerves tingling in more bad bays than one, and he felt a wave of nausea hit him. Why on Earth did Siegfried still look like he had control over this whole thing when Yugi had clearly done his research on the law and had countered all his attempts? He was so absorbed that he did not see the hand that grabbed his wrist and pulled him on a velvet covered lap, where he was promptly seated, an arm encircling his waist, trapping him in place.

Yugi reacted immediately, standing up so fast that his chair fell backwards. His face was a mixture of anger and panic, but before he could say or do anything, the Count lifted a hand to silence him.

“I can’t force him, you’re right.” Siegfried’s breath blew on Atem’s neck, making him close his eyes in revulsion. He felt fingers graze his face and tried squirming out of his restricted position, but the man’s grip only tightened around him. “But I can convince him.”

Atem spat his words like venom. “I would never in a million years consider marrying you!”

The other’s lips were now so close to his ear that he wanted to actually throw up at the knowledge of this proximity between them. “You might want to reconsider, my dear.”

The eldest brother heard a sharp intake of breath from across the table and his eyes snapped opened. What he saw made his blood both boil from anger and freeze from fear. One of the Count’s troup member, although goon might be a more appropriate term, was holding Jou under one arm, tied up like a sausage, a piece of cloth preventing him from cooing his disapproval. Another had an arm around Yugi’s throat, lifting his inches from the ground, the blade of a short knife scuffing at his cheek menancingly. Yugi’s feet were dangling, and he seemed to be focusing on catching his breath as the arm around his neck tightening.

Atem swallowed before answering. “Let them go…” his voice was barely above a whisper.

Siegfried tsked at him. “I need something in return if I’m to give you what you want.”

He knew he needed to stay calm and focused, but here, he was also but a teenager about to agree to marry a disgusting man after his money in order to save his brothers’ lives. “Yes,” he only replied.

The Count caressed his cheek again. “Yes what, my dear?”

Atem’s eyes were focused on Yugi’s pleading ones and what he perceived to be a shake of his head, begging him not to say what he was about to say. But he knew he had to. “Yes, I will marry you.”

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, the goon holding Yugi released him, dropping him to the floor unceremoniously. The younger boy let the air back into his body with deep shaky intakes. The eldest was still forced to keep his seat across the Count’s lap as the man took another sip of his coffee like if nothing had actually happened. “We’ll keep the little one until the end of the ceremony. You know, just in case you have a case of the jitters and think about changing your mind.”

He finally released his hold on Atem who mechanically stood up and who somehow manage to walk the distance between him and Yugi without stumbling. When he reached him, he pulled him off from the ground, holding one of his arms with both hands, as gently as he could. The goon who had been hanging on to Jou had disappeared behind a door, taking away their baby brother away from them.

“If you so much as touch a hair on his head…” Atem muttered to the whole room.

“You’ll see him back in the morning. After all, everyone is going to be present for our wedding, my dear lovely Atem.”

He felt the muscles in Yugi’s body tense so suddenly he was sure the younger brother was about to jump Siegfried. But a solitary hand reach across his body and grabbed onto one of the hands holding his arm. Atem took this as a sign that they should leave now and lead him out of the room into their attic bedroom.

When he entered, he was instantly hit by a wave of sadness as he saw the beautifully crafted tent he had worked so hard to make for them as a new home, but tonight, they would be missing a family member inside that very home. He knew the Count would keep his word about not hurting Jou, after all, he needed Atem to agree to this whole charade in order to get his hands on their fortune. But it still stung hard. So very hard.

As soon as the door was closed, Yugi fell to his knees and the tears finally spilled out from his eyes. There was nothing pretty about this crying, it was totally heart wrenching. Atem right away was down on his knees also, a comforting hand on the other’s shoulder. The same words he had told him in the car came out of his mouth again.

“It’s going to be okay. We’ll figure this out. Just like we always do.”

Yugi tapped the offending hand off his shoulder. “How can you say that?! How can you still say that after what just happened? We don’t have a clue as to where the puzzle piece is, Jou has been taken hostage, you’re being forced to marry this filthy man, and you still believe we are going to be okay?!”

The eldest did not know what to answer to this accusation at all. His brother/coworker was absolutely right; nothing about this situation had the slightest bit of hope. His own emotions mingled with that of his caring persona. The role he had been given here, this older brother personality that would do anything for his family, that was level-headed so much it was uncanny, that could create things from junk… And then himself, filled with dread about the prospect of what was happening to him and his coworker, but also with overflowing affectation for this man who had defended him not once but twice today against an awful man.

It was back again, the warmth slowly spreading through him. Yugi may have been a storm, but he was lighting a fire deep within him, embers burning softly at times and flames bursting at others. And this time, he let himself reach out.

After all, they were brothers here, and brothers were allowed to comfort each other, especially in such a dire situation. His arms pulled Yugi towards him and engulfed him in a soft and gentle embrace. He heard the gasp of surprise and then felt two arms reply to his hug, tender and hesitant. They both did not move or say a word for long minutes in which Yugi’s crying subsided, and then they both pulled away, not even mentioning what had just happened. The younger wiped his eyes with the back of his hands and took a deep breath.

Atem sat back on his heels. “We should sleep, get some energy and figure a way out of this tomorrow morning.”

Yugi nodded in agreement. “You’re right, there’s nothing we can do right now. We’ll need all our wits about if we’re going to get us all out of here.”

They laid down inside the tent, both at their respective spot in the large bed. The exhaustion of the last two stressful days hit Atem like a ton of brick and it seemed to have the same effect on Yugi who was soon out like a light. In his sleepy state, the paler boy had let one of his hands fall on the spot between the two of them and the other had looked at it for a long moment before setting one of his own hands next to him, but not touching it.

Just in case Yugi needed to reach out during the night.

At least, that was what he told himself right before sleep claimed him.

***

When he woke up the next morning, he was met with an empty opposite side of the bed. He bolted up, his first tought being that Siegfried has came into their room and took Yugi away from him too. But a small slice of paper on the pillow gave him his answer.

_I’ll be back, don’t worry. I think I might know where the puzzle piece could be…_

It was written in delicate loopy letters with a piece of sharpen charcoal laying next to it. Surprisingly, he did not feel annoyed at the fact that Yugi had left on his own to pursue a hunch. The Count had a very fortunate habit of sleeping in late to ‘get his beauty sleep’ and no one stirred in the mansion before late morning usually. This was indeed the perfect time to explore and find clues that they might have missed. He also understood the need for Atem to be ready whenever Siegfried would ask for him, if they wanted Jou to be returned to them unharmed.

When he went down to prepare breakfast, Yugi still had not returned, making worry bubble inside him. What if he had been caught? Or what if he had hurt himself and was stuck somewhere? He did not have time to ponder more on that when the door to the kitchen opened with a bang and one of the Count’s goons entered.

“He asked that you get ready for your performance now.”

There was no please, no question, not even anything else. Just an order to follow. Atem allowed himself to be lead to a dressing room where he was given a new set of clothes and told to get change as fast as he could. There was a small window that opened up on the backyard, and he could see people prepping the empty garden for the play that was to disguise their ceremony as just an act. Chairs were laid across the grass, a small stage had been swept clean and arranged with tattered curtains and a tasteless décor held up behind the only furniture on the scene: a replica of a small wooden podium where Ryou would be standing behind as he pronounced Atem and Siegfried husbands.

He was partially glad that Siegfried had not wanted to push this charade as far as having him in a dress, although he was pretty sure it was only because he lacked time to achieve such a goal in the short time frame he had planned for his scheme. He had been given a pair of grey breeches that reach his knees with a matching vest, another white shirt and a black ascot. He looked around the room and spotted a black bowler hat and decided to add that to his ensemble, securing his goggles on it. One of the Count’s female assistant pondered over the addition, but gave him the okay, saying it kind of matched his look well.

He was soon taken into another room which was drastically empty this time, and told that he would wait there until the ceremony was to take place. He heard the click on the lock as the door closed, and knew he was being kept prisoner until it was time for him to march down the aisle to his doom. It seemed like hours passed before he heard a quick knock on the door and a reassuring voice on the other side.

“Atem, are you there?”

He quickly closed the distance between him and the door and laid his ear against the wood. “Yes, Yugi, are you okay?” he automatically asked, still worried about the other.

“Yes, I am” Atem released a breath he did not know he had been holding while Yugi continued. “Good thing Siegfried doesn’t seem to care about my whereabouts at the moment.”

The eldest nodded even if the other could not see him. “Did you find anything?”

Yugi voiced his explanation through the door, softly. “I had a hunch that if something valuable was hidden somewhere in the mansion, it must be inside that tower Siegfried forbid us to go in. I managed to slip past the guard who was dozing off and found the Count sleeping up there, and, wouldn’t you know, holding a jar with the puzzle piece secured in it. I didn’t want to risk him waking up so I’m planning on returning there as soon as he leaves.”

Atem swallowed, understanding immediately what that meant. “So you mean…”

He heard a slight rustle of the other side, wondering if Yugi had laid his palm on the wooden surface separating them. “Yes, as soon as the ceremony starts… You’re going to have to pretend for a bit.”

Atem countered. “But we have to get Jou back first. We can’t leave him into his hands.”

The voice sounded even more resigned. “I know, he’s going to be there at the ceremony. He plans to use him as a stage decoration as a wedding present to you.”

Atem frowned, repugnance lacing his words. “That is really messed up.”

There was a pause from the other side of the door before Yugi spoke up again, his voice even but earnest. “Atem?”

“Yes?” he simply replied.

“I’m not going to let anything happen to you. Or Jou.”

The eldest swallowed at his words. “But you’re just one person, Yugi.”

“One person with a hell of a temper and motivation.”

For the first time in what seemed a long time, Atem chuckled. “Go, I’ll meet you at the altar.”

He heard his chuckle mirrored by the other. “I’ll be there to object to your union, don’t worry.”

His next words were whispered, but loud enough to travel through the barrier between them. “I can’t wait.”

With another short knock of encouragement, Yugi was gone. Atem let himself fall to the floor, his back resting against the door, the only comfort knowing someone was actively trying to change their situation. However, he hated the fact that he was not that someone, that he had to rely on Yugi to do most of the work while he was stuck waiting for the church bells. Strangely, he realised that he trusted the other to accomplish such a task, and for a second, he wondered when that change had happened between them. Could it only be his persona that trusted his brother fully, or was there also a part of him that had started trusting Yugi too?

His reflection was roughly interrupted by the door opening swiftly and him falling backwards to the ground. His head hit the wooden panels with a thud and his eyes met with the same woman that had dressed him up. “Come up, sweety. Time to walk down the aisle now!” She picked him up, an iron grip on one of his forearms and pulled him down the corridors and stairs leading to the courtyard. When they reached the balcony facing the garden, she hooked his arm around hers, and motioned to an old man sitting at a broken down piano to start playing. While the notes of the wedding march filled the air with their sinister tone, Atem could only focus on what had been laid on the stage before him as he walked between rows of people he did not know at all.

Judge Ryou was looking as official as he had been tasked behind the podium, all smiles and a short wave his way. The Count was standing right in front in a once again ridiculous velvet attire in clashing off-white this time, with a tall top hat decorated with white roses. Right next to him, in a wooden box was Jou, who’s bindings had been replaced by equally tightened ribbons, a large bow right in the front. The whole thing was like out of a twisted nightmare, one that Atem wished he would wake up any second now, but knew that he was in fact not sleeping. This may have been another reality than his own, but it was as real as all the others they have passed through.

The lady walked him down as if she was somehow given her son away to this man standing at the altar and only let go of him when he was facing Siegfried, who’s bright smile did not reach his cruel eyes. “Ready, my dear?”

He was offering his hand to the young man and Atem tried to push down the sour taste he felt in his mouth while placing his own hand inside the daunting palm. He chose to not to reply and simply turned to face Ryou. The Judge started repeating the words from his legal speech, the one he had probably recited many times before in the town hall, but not quite like he was doing here. Ryou was completely unaware of his part in the Count’s vicious plan, but if Atem tried anything right now, he risked someone hurting Jou. He had to wait for Yugi and the diversion he would procure.

The Judge’s chocolate eyes met his, and something passed between them. He did not know if it was the dread settling in his own irises, or Ryou finally putting the pieces together, but the white-haired man stumbled on his next words, excusing himself as he stopped and searched inside his document. Siegfried’s foot tapped impatiently against the floor of the stage.

“Is there something, your Honour?” his said, sweetened venom dripping from his words.

Ryou laughed nervously, shuffling the papers before him. “No, no, everything is fine, I’m simply looking for the marriage contract. I could swear I had it here-“

“FIRE, THERE’S A FIRE DOWN THE STREET!”

Everything happened in a blur after these words were shouted. People started getting up and running around frantically. Atem glanced back to see Yugi holding a glass jar in his hands, with a glowing trinket inside. He quickly tore his hands from Siegfried and pushed the man down the stage with all his strength. He reached into the wooden box to get Jou, but someone else was pulling him from behind. The arms grabbing him suddenly loosened and with the toddler now safely in his arms, he noticed Ryou had let the podium fall on the goon that had attacked him.

The Judge offered a hand to Atem who gladly took it as they all ran back down the aisle towards Yugi. It was very chaotic around them, as people stood up in panic, some reaching for the Count, other for the exit, and some goons were trying to also catch the three children and the judge making their escape.

“Don’t let them get away!” rang Siegfried’s furious voice behind them.

Ryou took Jou away from Atem’s arms and the eldest was able to reach out for Yugi’s hand as they tumbled back into the mansion and out of there as quickly as they could through the front door. Guests were rushing out of the door too, looking for this famous fire proclaimed by Yugi as a diversion.

Ryou was right in front of them, his pace fast enough to get away from the mob following them, but allowing the children to keep up with him. They soon arrived next to a trolley stop, from which one traveled through the whole town and to the eastern towns after that. As luck would have it, the trolley cart was still there, ready to leave. The four of them jumped aboard, with nothing but themselves as luggage. The cart jolted to life and carried them safely away.

Atem finally caught his breath, gulping large quantity of humid air, sweat on his brows. His hand was still holding on firmly to Yugi as they looked at each other, feeling relief flooding through them for the first time in this reality. Jou was squealing happily in Ryou’s arms.

“I wish I could have bitten that man,” he cooed.

Atem laughed, both from the baby’s comment and from the giddy bubbly emotions he felt. He heard his middle brother’s laugh accompany his and with a final squeeze, he let go of his hand.

Ryou looked at the three brothers with a large smile of his face. “Well, I was due for an unexpected visit to my brother, a few towns east from here. I might end up staying longer, he always said he liked having me around. We’ll have lots of time to talk there.” Spontaneously, Jou grabbed his face between his two tiny palms and rubbed his nose against his in a cute and tender gesture. “You’re welcome to join me, Baudelaires.”

Atem glanced at Yugi who instantly looked at him too, and then both were back to Ryou. While Yugi was twisting the cap of the glass jar opened, Atem offered a few words of explanation to the kind Judge who had just saved them from a horrible situation. “We’d love to. Could you just give my brother and I a moment and take Jou inside with you?”

The white haired man nodded, but before he got inside the trolley, Atem grabbed Jou’s tiny palm and squeezed it. “I’m glad you’re okay, little brother.”

Yugi rearranged his little palm tree ponytail and smiled at this small version of his best friend. “Yeah, you nearly had us scared for a moment.”

Jou blew a raspberry at them. “As if anything could happen to me when you two are there!”

They watched both the man and toddler walk away from them and waited until the door closed before Atem looked at the glowing puzzle piece Yugi was holding out to him.

“Wanna get out of here?”

He did not know if it was the familiarity between them here, the proximity they had shared, their fierce protectiveness over the other… but even if this reality had been a total nightmare, those bits and pieces of hope and light throughout their stay here had been more then worthwhile.

But Jou was safe with Ryou, they were headed somewhere better, and he was ready to leave this grey life, even if what awaited them was completely unknown.

The word tumbled out of his mouth by accident, but he did not regret the use of it. It just felt… right.

“Let’s go, Partner.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapter was inspired by A Series of Unfortunate Events. It was used as a joker instead of Farm/Ranch, because all I could think about for that one was Brokeback Mountain... and I mean, not going there lolll
> 
> And because you've been so nice, I decide to give you that little Partner bit, it felt fitting after this one!
> 
> See you soon!
> 
> My [Tumblr](https://xauroraxborealisx.tumblr.com/)


	13. Neurotic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 12 - Crime AU
> 
> There were so many roads I could have gone done with this chapter, and a friend triggered this idea in my head, and I could never thank them enough, so shoutout to [Elexica](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elexica)! Thank you so much for giving me the inspiration for this chapter!
> 
> This is one heck of a chapter, I'm warning you! LOOOOOTS of things going on, but I might be overexcited to share this with all of you!!!
> 
> Enjoy!

After the last two realities, Atem was deeply surprised by the sudden lack of humidity in the air. Instead, he was hit with harsh dry heat, bringing him back to that truck he had briefly shared with Mai across the desert while gunning for their lives.

He was on a different type of vehicle as he opened his eyes, realising he was aboard a bus nonetheless. The next few details all came to him quickly after that. There were only two other people on the bus, both of which he did not know at all. One thing seemed great about this: he was definitely back in his adult body. He was wearing casual civilian clothes, a simple pair of jeans, a t-shirt and a hooded sweater. But what really bugged him were the metal handcuffs encircling his wrists and attached to the top of the worn leather bench in front of him.

The man closest to him, the other one being the driver, was holding a riffle and looking at him as if he was the most dangerous individual he had ever seen, with judging eyes and a deep frown. Atem had half a mind to greet him with a large smile and courteous hello, but refrained in case he found it insulting enough to try and shoot him for his insolence. He found it weird to have that want to be cocky, maybe some of the Captain’s persona had rubbed on him a little bit more than he believed at first. Or maybe Hook’s persona had just brought out that hidden side of him, who knew?

He took a look outside the dirty windows and noticed that there was almost nothing outside except dry cracked land everywhere. In some far off distance, he could see some mountains, but that was mostly it… that and what look like some base military camp which they seem to be heading towards. Where the hell had he landed?

The bus stopped right at the border of the camp and he was shoved out the door promptly, his hands still handcuffed. The heat was heavy and the sunlight was blinding, it took him a few seconds to get his bearings right and observe his surroundings. There were only a couple of wooden buildings, as well as a handful of large army tents in which he could see about 10 cots in each, and a few sheds spread here and there. Everyone was sporting the same orange coveralls, some with the sleeves rolled-up, others with the top half tied around their waist, a tattered white t-shirt on their chest, and all with their eyes on him.

“Oh lookie here! Fresh meat!” a somewhat familiar voice rang on his right.

He spun around and almost stumbled at the picture that formed in front of him. He knew the three faces coming his way because he used to see them every single day at work, and he had been awfully jealous when he had learned that they all somehow had manage to escape this whole bonding seminar thing he had been forced on at the beginning of this journey. The three of them had been saved from this trip because of their very important position in the company as the top technicians and because Valon had somehow roped HR into believing that they already got along with everyone, him and his sunny obnoxious personality. They had agreed that their work was needed more in the company than in that seminar, even if they were sending the boss himself on this getaway. Atem had stopped caring how HR did their thing by now.

Valon was actually the one who had made the comment, a large childish smirk on his face, both hands in his pockets and a smidge of dirt across his cheekbone, dust adorning his hair. Next to him stood proud and tall Rafael, who had opted for the tied-down version of the overalls, a tight dirty wife beater showing up his well-defined arm muscles, probably a good tactic here to keep the others at bay. And, last but not least, Alister looked almost put together compared to the other two, a look of utter boredom on his face.

Although, he was not the last of their group as a smaller man appeared right from behind them, his purple eyes widening, his hair hidden under a woolen beanie that looked completely out of place in a desert, but Atem was smart enough to know of the cooling effect on the material. Quickly the shorter one of the bunch made a shushing gesture at him, and without needing any other explanation, Atem went along with the ruse.

“Move along, assholes! You don’t get your hands on him until I’m done first,” a loud voice sounded close to them.

That one, he could recognize anywhere, with that good awful overconfident accent. Keith was standing in front of him in all his glory, in his signature jeans and cowboy boots, but had traded his usual top for a light jean shirt, the two top buttons opened, and one of the ugliest cowboy hats Atem had even seen in his life. He knew Keith for work and his reputation. He was a Texan correspondent with the company, the spokesperson from one of their client, along with a scrawny man whose name escaped Atem at the moment. No one liked him, but his client was important so everyone tolerated him whenever he came around for a curtesy visit.

“Get him out of the cuffs, he don’t need them anymore, you know that!” he motioned to the guard with the riffle next to him who obliged the man that looked to be in charge.

As soon as his wrist were freed, he took a few seconds to massage them and focused his attention on who he believed to be the warden here. He saw Yugi sending a quick glance his way as he followed the three techs into one of the tents from before. A strong slap on his back brought him back to the moment and he coughed from the impact.

“Here’s the deal, sunny. Do you seen any guard towers, any gates or fences or anything to keep you here?” He waited for Atem to actually shake his head before he continued. “That’s because we don’t need them. We’re the only spot with water and food for miles. Out there, there’s only the burning sun, the desert and the yellow-spotted lizards, all of which will kill you if you ever try to escape, understood?”

“Yes, Sir,” Atem replied automatically.

So this was a prison camp indeed, and they were all criminals doing time. He did not know why his persona had been sent here, but he felt like he did not really want to know. He simply walked behind the man showing him around the different facilities of the camp before he was asked to change in the predictable orange overalls and leave all of his belongings into a box that would be given back to him when his sentence at Camp Green Lake would be done.

The sun had already peaked a few hours ago and everyone was headed to the mess hall where breakfast and dinner were served. He got in line with all the other inmates, as disgusted as them by the soggy and unappealing food selection they were given and took his tray around, looking a place to sit. He wanted to go sit next to Yugi and get his version of the what was happening here, but that would indeed look awfully suspicious.

However, luck seemed to be on his side when Valon waved him over and patted an empty spot at their table. He walked over and sat down, careful not to look at his traveling companion as he did.

“So, fresh meat, I hear your name’s Atem?” the brown haired man asked.

“Yeah,” he offered, all the while thinking about each of the words he would pronounce, wanting badly not to stand out in this hostile environment.

“Welcome to our little club, since you’ll be sharing our next tent from what M. Keith told us…” He then proceeded to present his lunch mates one by one. “I’m Valon and this is Alister. Next, we have Rafael and this tiny bug over there is Yugi. He doesn’t talk much, but he digs like a mole, I tell ya.”

“What do you mean, dig?” Atem prompted.

As if this was the joke of the century, the three techs around the table started laughing loudly, Yugi imitating them by chuckling also.

“I see Keith had been slacking in his explanations again,” the blond Rafael offered. “That’s what we do here. We dig. One hole everyday. When your hole is done, you get to come back to camp and wait until the next day… when you’ll do it all over again.”

Atem could not refrain from asking: “But what are we digging for?”

“To build character,” the four man around the table echoed all together.

“At least, that’s what they’re trying to drill into our heads,” Alister said, finally joining in on the conversation.

“And, if you find anything valuable, you have to hand it to them, and you can get the rest of the day off, as well a 15 minutes of air-conditioning in the warden’s office!” Valon exclaimed.

“That’s a myth, idiot. No one ever found anything.” The red haired man countered.

“Still a man can dream, no?” the other replied.

Yugi did not offer any word at all over the whole course of their meager dinner. They then retreated to the tent, where Atem was given a bed previously occupied by an inmate who often barfed it seemed. The mattress did not look like it had been washed at all, but it was still better than the bed the Count had offered them at first in the previous reality. He set his sleeping bag on it and sat down, taking off his work boots and settling in for the night like the others. He had been warned that morning came very early at Camp Green Lake, for they started digging at dawn.

His eyes met Yugi’s across the tent and he felt so far away from him, when they had been so close most of the time just before shifting. Yugi mirrored his emotions and mouthed the words _Good Night_ before offering him a tiny smile. And this was all he could have right now, he knew, with the guard posted outside their tent and their mates unaware of their connection.

And it was good enough for him, knowing that he was not truly alone here.

***

Dawn effectively came much too early as a loud alarm rang across the whole camp, inmates stirring about and groaning their disapproval, the sun not even rising yet. Atem wiped the sleep away from his eyes with dry hands and laced his work boots, tying his hair back with a tiny piece of cloth he had found yesterday, then hiding it underneath a cap he had been provided as cover from the sun that would be hammering up on him the whole day. There were rumors that it had not rained near Camp Green Lake for the past hundred years, and although it made absolutely no sense for that to be, in this reality, it might have actually been the truth.

He was almost out of his tent when a hand reached down to his and squeezed it quickly before Yugi dodged next to him and headed outside without so much as a glance. But that small gesture brought a warm smile on his face he rapidly hid to avoid suspicions. He followed the crowd to one of the shed closer to the camp and was handed a shovel. He listened as Mr. Keith repeated the rules, lining them up along with a few other armed guards around them. They were to dig a whole the depth and circumference of their shovel and report anything remotely interesting they would dig up. When, and only when, they were done, they could report back to camp and that was it.

Atem went along with his tent mates, last in line, and was happy to see that Yugi was right in front of him. He needed their interaction to appear casual, but he also wanted to be able to communicate with him.

“So we just dig, huh?” he whispered.

Yugi waited a few seconds, leaving some distance between them and the rest of the group. “Yup, I came to with a shovel in my hand already digging yesterday. Kind of shocker.”

The Egyptian wanted to laugh at that fact, but knew it must have indeed been quite something to wake up in a sandy hole without any knowledge on how or what he was actually supposed to be doing. “You discovered what you’re here for?”

Now walking next to him, the other nodded slowly with a pensive look. “Apparently, I’m really into breaking and entering. You?”

Atem took a few seconds to collect his thoughts and gathered information from what he could feel off his persona. “Not yet, though I’ve been thinking a lot about cars, can’t seem to get them off my mind.”

Yugi hummed and snickered. “Hum, car theft, nice!”

A thunderous voice interrupted them. Keith had pushed up his sunglasses to look at both of them, although Atem wondered why he was wearing them when the sun was even out yet. “Hey Mole, you gonna start digging or what? Let the newbie handle himself like the rest of the bunch!”

Yugi let out a loud sigh before distancing himself for Atem. “That’s me, Mole…” he pointed at himself. “Because apparently, I dig fast.”

And he turned around and started digging. Atem followed suit.

It was like that for the next three days, the same routine, the same boring meals, the same few interactions with Yugi as they both searched for any clue about what they had to do here or where they could possibly find a puzzle piece in this deserted hell. Their tent mates, because they would hardly consider them friends here, noticed that the two of them had talk a few times, and made some comments here and there, but it did not seem to bother them at all. Only Alister found it suspicious, but he seemed to find anything suspicious really.

Yugi kept trying to remember the movie this made him think of, but he could only come up with a few memorable lines he thought he had heard from the back of a high school English class where it had played. He remembered the movie had been about teenagers in juvie, but the universe seemed slightly different here and now. It had happened also in Peter Pan, when they were both their own age instead of their persona’s. They both knew something was bound to happen, they just did not know what or when it would.

And it did.

The fourth day.

The first day he had to dug his hole, Atem felt it might take him until sundown to actually finish his task. His hands had blisters by the end and his overalls were soaked with sweat and covered in sand. His five-minute shower time was way too short to get rid of the grime in every crease and he had eaten his food without any complaint, digging into it like he had dug into the ground for the whole day. Yugi had mentioned his persona seemed more used to digging than his for sure, but that was the only interaction they had that day as Atem fell asleep as soon as his head hit his clunky pillow.

He was so sore the next day he did not know how he was able to lift his shovel at all, but he did. The third day, he just went with it. And finally, the fourth day, as he lifted his shovel ready to throw another handful of dirt out of his hole, he stopped, the sun reflecting brightly on something amongst the sand in it.

His dirty hands reached for it, and he could not believe it at first. How had this been this easy? They had not done anything here really, just dug and shoveled and dug and shoveled… so why was the puzzle piece right there in his pile of sand? He carefully picked it up and brought it to his face to be sure it was not a trick of the sun or if the heat was affecting his brain or something.

No, there it was. The puzzle piece they needed to shift. It was not glowing yet, but they would find a way to activate it soon enough.

“Whatcha got there, fresh meat?” Valon’s voice reached his ears from behind.

Quickly, he pocketed the puzzle piece and picked up his shovel again like nothing had happened.

“N-nothing. Just some fossil,” he added in case he had seen him put something away.

Before he knew it, another person dropped in his hole right next to him. “Dull rocks don’t shine like that.”

He barely had time to turn around that Alister was pushing him on the edge of his digging site, pressing an arm tightly against his throat. Both of Atem’s hands went to his to free his airway, but in doing so, left him without any defense when his attacker’s other hand snatched the trinket from his pocket. “Well, that’s a neat fossil if I do say so myself,” he said as he eyed the piece curiously.

He let go of Atem who gulped down on the air he had momentarily lacked and climbed on the hole easily since it was still pretty shallow. Two arms were soon also pulling him out of his own ditch, strongly but gently at the same time. He glanced aside to see Yugi then standing back up and facing Alister. “Give it back to him!”

The red haired man who stood almost a feet taller than Yugi towered over him with a raised eyebrow. “Why do you care, Mole?” Then he chuckled and a mean smirk appeared on his lips. “Unless you want to bang him in exchange. I’ve seen the way you’ve been eyeing him since he’s arrived.”

Atem immediately got defensive and dived for Alister, but out of nowhere, Rafael appeared next to him, his arm clotheslining him across the chest, sending him back to the ground. His head connected with a larger rock, a sharp pain echoing in his skull. He could feel a warm trickle of blood tracing his way down his temple to his neck. However, before he could even react to his assault, he was flipped on his stomach as someone sat on his back, twisting one of his arm to keep him still.

Valon’s mouth ushered his words next to his ears as he settled on him deeply. “You should not interrupt a conversation, fresh meat. Not very polite of you.”

Even if he had trouble breathing, he could feel his anger and his persona’s spunk fuel him enough to spit a few words to the strong brunet. “Get the fuck off me.”

The other, who was currently putting most of his weight on him, giggled. “Let the grown-ups do the talking first.”

He managed to glance towards Yugi’s direction for a second, who was still standing his ground against Alister who seemed almost impressed by the energy the shorter man emitted just with his gaze and stance. Atem gave a push to try and throw Valon off him, but this only drove the other to twist his arm a bit more until he groaned from the pain of the action.

“What’s this all about?” Keith’s commanding voice cut through their scuffle.

Rafael who had somehow decided to just go back to his hole and keep digging as if his role in this whole situation was over, just shrugged and pointed at Alister who offered his own subjective explanation. “Mole here is accusing me of stealing from Atem.”

The officer in charge frowned and looked at everyone’s position without even asking Valon to get off Atem. “The newbie? What could he possibly have that you’d want?”

Alister kept playing with the puzzle piece, juggling with it in both hands, as if knowing this simple action was keeping Yugi on edge. “Exactly. I think he’s just jealous I finally dug up something and he didn’t. Can you believe the nerve?”

Atem could see Yugi’s fists curled up so tight he was sure his fingernails would piece through his palms and draw blood. The purple-eyed man managed to keep his voice leveled enough to not shout his words. “You lying bastard! You just took it from him, I saw it, we all did!”

Valon whistled while shifting his weight off Atem, who took a deep breath to refill his lungs, but was still very much stuck under him. “Did you, Rafael? ‘Cause I didn’t see nothing.”

The muscular blonde kept digging, not even acknowledging the brunet’s comment.

Keith just shook his head before pulling his sunglasses off his face and proceeding to clean them with the bottom of his shirt. “Listen, squirt, if you want it back, just take it back from him.”

Yugi spun around so quickly he looked about ready to lose his footing. For a long moment, he just eyed the officer, completely shocked by what he had just proposed. “Are you fucking insane? You want us to fight for it?”

The officer offered him a very vicious smile while putting his glasses back on his face. “What can I say? I love a good show.”

Atem closed his eyes and wished he would somehow wake up. This was not happening, this could not be happening. Where had they stumbled upon for prison officers to encourage their inmates to fight, just for the fun of it? He heard someone shuffle and opened back his eyes in case shit got down. A thought pierced through his mind and it shocked him for a moment. He realised that if he wanted Valon to get off him, he would have to probably forego the fact that by using all of his strength, the other man might twist his arm further before he broke free, and probably end up breaking a part of it. And even if he knew that this would hurt like hell, he would gladly take the pain over Yugi getting hurt over him.

Things definitely did not happen as slow as he saw them, but it felt like a movie happening before his eyes and he could not do anything about it from his position, and because it took the spam of 5 seconds at the most. Yugi grabbed a shovel from the ground, the head upwards and cranked up his arm, preparing to land a blow to his opponent. However, his intended target was not Alister as everyone had predicted, even the red-haired man himself who had taken a dodging stance. The metal shovel struck Keith right across the temple with such brute force that the Egyptian could have never fathom the smaller man to even possess that much strength in his whole body. The bludgeoning hit knocked Keith out completely as he fell to the ground, unconscious and lifeless.

No one moved.

Until there was a barely perceptible groan escaping the officer’s mouth, confirming he was still alive despite the harsh blow.

Yugi dropped the shovel, more like threw it repulsively one the ground, his whole body trembling. His eyes were glued to the ground, while everyone’s else were on him. Atem could sense his coworker edging on anxiety, he could very well recognize the signs, and he needed to move now before Yugi acted impulsively again and did something he might regret even more.

However, he was not fast enough to push Valon off him. Yugi snatched the puzzle piece from Alister’s hand who still tried to put together what was happening. As soon as the trinket was in his possession, he bolted out of there and into the unforgiving desert around them, heading as fast as he could to the mountains in the distance, the only visual around them. Atem was finally up, the brunet on top of him having completely let go of him without a fuss and he took but a second to get his footing right before darting after Yugi.

Someone grabbed his ankle and he was quickly back on the ground, tripped by the movement. He noticed that Keith had been the one to halt him. Other guards had come around to check the commotion, and two of them were restraining him before he could even react again. He was pulled back up, but held against his will, as another man was helping the officer in charge to his feet. Keith was now sporting a huge bruise that was growing in size by the second, but surprisingly, it was not bleeding. His glasses were halfway off his nose, broken in two pieces, the smoky lenses in crumbs.

If Atem had ever wondered what fury looked liked, it was exactly this.

“Should we follow him or shoot at him, Sir?” a guard asked.

The angry blonde man tore the glasses off his face before throwing them aside and spitting on the ground, a bit of blood laced with his saliva. “No, leave him to the desert, he won’t last long out there, we all know it.”

He tossed away the arm that had helped him and walked the few steps between him and Atem, each of them heavier with danger than the previous one. Atem could not take his eyes off him, and he felt that if he did, he might be in even more trouble than he already was. And what good would that do when he needed to get out of there as soon as he could to regroup with Yugi somehow.

With his height, Keith towered over him and his snarl was anything but nice. “But you… since the fucking squirt is gone, I need someone to blame, and no one is going to argue with me on this, right?” he finished, turning around, daring anyone to go against his intention.

And as predicted, no one did, not a guard nor any inmate, all turning back to their own bidding, like if nothing had happened.

“Thought so,” Atem heard the officer say before a powerful fist connected with his stomach, knocking the wind out of him.

His knees bucked under him from the impact, his head wound pulsing as a reminder that it was there, still bleeding, and he was suddenly too weak to protest the officers manhandling back to camp like a rag doll.

***

He did not remember much of the blur of things that happened on his way back. He got dragged all the way to a building he had not visited on his tour and thrown into a small cell, the walls made of cement, with absolutely nothing in it except a barred window much too high to reach for anyone, and the heavy metal that closed back on him. Someone had quickly checked his wound, but did nothing to clean it, the blood dried down all the way to his overalls collar.

For long minutes, he did nothing but bang on the door, asking to be let out, that it was unfair and illegal to keep him here, but his cries were never answered. He kept on knocking until his knuckles hurt enough and he noticed the cuts forming on them. He fell to the floor, his head resting on the metallic door, and the exhaustion and all the emotions of what had just transpired hit him so hard he felt the tears coming out. He did not find it anywhere in him to try and stop them from falling.

This was ridiculous. Why the hell would they be sent here of all places, where they were just bound to get hurt and separated? Since no one would listen to him here, Atem directed his anger at the only other thing he could think of: the damn remote control that had seemed to start it all. And the person or entity responsible for their predicament.

“You piece of shit, do something! You put of here and you’re just going to watch us as we get killed like this? Answer me!”

The door opened and he recoiled from it, until his back hit the wall at the opposite end of the cell. He must have looked like hell with blood and dirt all over his face, tearstains and just so freaking out of it. He could not care less. Unless Yugi had somehow found his way back to camp to get him, he did not care who was at that door.

But he was still surprised to see another familiar face.

“Well, honey, my intention was never to put you here or to kill you. You put your own damn self here, pretty boy. And I sure ain’t gonna be the one to end you, you can manage that by your lonesome self for all I care.”

That is also how he knew that, in this reality, Mai Kujaku was nowhere near on his side this time.

She wore a pair of jeans, a tight purple button-up shirt tucked in them, showing a large amount of unnecessary cleavage, knee-length brown boots that looked ready to squash him and a large brown cowboy hat, her blonde wavy hair escaping from underneath it. She had one hand of his hips, authority dripping from her posture, and in her other one, she was twirling a pair of large aviator sunglasses like she had been born with the ability, completely effortlessly. She was flanked by the two largest guards Atem had seen around the camp, both fully armed unlike some of the others.

“Who are you?” he said, wanting badly to add a fuck in there because he needed to get his anger out, but he thought better in his condition.

She took a few measured steps towards him. “Allow me to introduce myself, then. I’m Madame Mai, the warden here.” She carefully folded her glasses into the pocket of her shirt, looking at him like a cobra about to jump at his throat, her eyes slits of purple danger. “The only woman around, so that should tell you how much of a bad ass bitch I am to run things above every single one of these men.”

Atem did not want to let her get to him, although he found himself clearly intimidated by her. He just kept thinking about a way to leave this cell. “Then if you have so much power, let me out of here…”

She tssked at him, looking at her fingernails with lots of interest. “No can’t do, honey. You just arrived here, and I’m already cleaning up the mess from the trouble you’re stirring.”

He chuckled dryly without any humour in it. “You’re not even gonna hear my side of the story, heh?”

Mai kicked the ground, dust flying everywhere. “Honestly, I don’t fucking care about your side.” She let him cough up a few times before she continued to make sure he understood her. “I just know that you’re a little shit that I need to turn into an example, so no one fucks things up here again.”

She waited a few seconds to see if he would retort again, and when he didn’t, she bent down, grabbed a fistful of his hair and lifted his head to make sure their eyes met, only a few inches apart. The guards had closed in on them, making sure that they could react before he would even think about lifting a finger against their boss.

He was reminded once again of a snake pounding on a mouse, and he was definitely feeling tiny under her harsh gaze. “So I’ll let you reflect upon your incorrect behaviour for a while, until you are ready to apologize.”

Atem still managed to find enough character in him, maybe from his hardened persona or simply from his own resentment at this whole thing, to snap back his question. “And if I’m never ready?”

He heard and felt the spit that landed pitilessly on his cheek in the same second. “Then ya can rot here for all I care.”

As entrancing her entrance has been, her exit left him feeling completely drained despite it being such a short exchange between them. The bolting of the outside lock on the door sounded deadly final in his ears and he found himself curling up on the side on the ground, unable to react in any other way. He realised how alone he suddenly was and it settled it in stomach like lead. But there was also something much worse than that.

He felt so completely and utterly useless.

While Yugi was battling the elements out there in the desert on his own.

While he could only stare at the metal door keeping him prisoner.

He let out a feral cry, one filled with agony, anger and fear. It fell on deaf ears with no one even reacting to it. He was met once again by silence. Hours and hours of silence. He knew the building was far enough for no other inmates to hear him, but he thought someone would eventually be back to see him. The guards had dropped a bucket before they left with Mai, but no one came with food or water for him, not that he could even stomach anything in his emotional state.

Mai did not lie when she said she would let him die here.

When he found enough strength, he stood back up, tried the door as many times as his body would let him. He also tried jumping to reach the window, but his fingers could not even touch the ledge, even if he stood on the bucket. He switched positions from laying on the ground, to sitting in a corner, to kicking the walls, to anything basically. The dry heat surrounding him despite the concrete soaked his overalls with another layer of grim and sweat.

“You should rest, son.”

Atem froze. No, this was impossible. That voice. He could not be here, in this cell, with him, in this reality. He very slowly turned around to face a man he had resented all these years, dressed in clothing he recognized from years ago, wearing the same easy smile he always had whenever he was around.

“You’re not real,” Atem whispered to the ghostly appearance.

The man held his hands in an open invitation. “What do you mean, Atem? I’m right here. I’m as real as you are.”

The crimson-eyed man kept stepping back until he could not anymore, trapped in a too small space for him to escape the other person. He just kept staring as the man approached him and when he felt a tangible hand on his shoulder, he thought for sure he would faint.

“Don’t touch me,” he managed to whispered.

The man pressed his hand more firmly on him. “Atem, son, it’s me.”

Atem did not want to touch the other, but he wanted the offending hand off him, and he wanted it off now. He grabbed the wrist before wrenching away the hand and releasing his temporary hold on it. “I said… don’t fucking touch me.”

The man, who Atem refused to acknowledge by name or title, opened his mouth to reply something, but he cut him off before anything could come out.

“And you have no right to call me son. We’re not family. Not anymore. Hell, I don’t believe we ever really were,” the inmate spat each of his words with as much venom as he could conjure.

The man did not even flinch at his tone, he just kept his charming smile and shook his head lightly. “What happened to you? You use to look up to me and love me.”

Atem’s fingers scratched at the concrete wall. He wanted to dig his fingers into anything, to ground himself against all the emotional turmoil he was hit with at the moment, but the concrete offered very little comfort. “That was before all the lies and the cheating! You destroyed everything!”

The other kept his unaffected façade, which only served into driving Atem more on the edge by the second. “I did no such thing. I kept things separate from you and your mother so it would not hurt you.”

He did not want to touch the man although he felt like punching him across his charming disposition. The only moment they had physically connected, he had felt the deepest chill run along his spine and he did not need a reminder of that feeling, even if his anger was driving him up the wall. Underneath all the anger was also something much more dangerous, something he did not want to let out. He did not want to show this man that he was affecting him in more ways than one. “Oh because having another family on the other side of the world was such a great idea to begin with? You’re disgusting! You kept on feeding us lies and sweet nothings like everything was perfect, you kept acting as if we were your priority, saying you were doing this for us! You’re the worst fucking bastard I even met! And you were my dad!”

The man took one step closer to him, closing the distance between them, and Atem could do nothing about it. “I still am.”

He did the only thing he could to build a defensive wall between them. He closed his eyes on him, taking away the image, but unfortunately not the heavy presence of the other. “No, we stopped having that relationship the moment Mom finally told you not to come back home. I have no ties to you anymore, nor do I want them back.”

There was slight change on tone, like honey-laced poison dripping from the voice now. “That is no way to talk to your father, Atem.”

Atem flapped both of his palms against his ears, cutting the offensive voice that tried to weave its way inside him, like a twisted vine around his heart. “You are not my father. Leave me the fuck alone!”

Something shifted in the air and the heaviness around him lifted, instead replaced by a sense of remembrance, like fogged up memories. He opened his eyes back up and he was not in his cell anymore. Well, not quite. He could feel the wall behind him, but something else was playing in front of him. It was like someone had plucked images from his own mind and displayed them for him to watch like an old movie.

_“Atem?” someone called from behind._

_The young man, about thirteen, swivelled around on his chair, large headphones on, microphone downed and a gaming controller hooked on his computer in his hands. He had a neutral expression on his face, and when he realised his mother was standing at his door, he pushed the headphones down to his neck._

_“Yes Mother?” he replied._

_She rested against the frame, her arms crossed in a relaxed manner, a tender smile on her face. “How are your friends?”_

_Atem rolled his eyes in a childish manner, but there was also a playful smile on his face he could never hide when his mother was around. “They’re not friends, Mother. They’re just gaming partners.”_

_His mother stuck her tongue at him. “Just because you only know their gamer tags and not their real names, doesn’t mean they’re not your friends, dear.”_

_The young boy puffed his cheeks like a squirrel. “Is this about the fact that I still have yet to bring any ‘friend’ from school at home?” he asked, making quotation marks while saying the word friend._

_Anathea sighed loudly. “Well, I’d love to have anyone else than you and Daniel for dinner for once, you know. And maybe, I don’t know, see you enjoying a sleepover, a movie night, anything really.”_

_Promptly, Atem was reminded of how the recent years had changed both of them, but also how much his mother never wavered in her appetite for life, or her affection for him. She had met another man, someone who treated her like the queen she deserved to be treated as. Daniel was a gift to her, and he had been nothing but nice to him also. He became more of a father figure than his own father ever was. “Mom…” he said, a hint of sadness in his voice._

_She quickly closed the distance between them and embraced him, but made sure to keep her tone light and tender. “Just kidding, ‘tem! Honestly, I’m perfectly happy with seeing you smiling that much, even if you’re interacting with these non-friends of yours online.”_

_“They may be anonymous, but you’re right. They’re friends, I guess,” he whispered in her hair._

_She went back downstairs to take care of dinner and he turned back to his computer. There was a reason he had never brought anyone home from school. He did not have anyone at school. He did not want anyone at school. He would rather have anonymous people in his life, this way, he could keep them at bay, keep them far enough to not…_

_He pulled his headphones back on. “Okay, guys, I’m back. Ready to kill that demon now?”_

Atem heard lights clicking like on a stage and everything went dark, before shifting again to another familiar scene, this time in an outdoor courtyard next to his old high school. He could almost feel the spring breeze as the temperature warmed during that time of year and the smell of growing grass under his feet.

_“So that’s where you’re hiding!” a pair of arms wrapped around his older wiry teenage frame from behind._

_“I would not really called that hiding, Mana. He’s sitting at our usual table in plain sight,” another voice joined that of the perky brunet who took a seat next to Atem._

_Mahad appeared and took his place across them on the other side of the table. All three of them were wearing their blazers as well as light scarves to keep the chilly wind at bay, and Mana had hidden part of her hair under a cute beret._

_Atem was merely picking at the crumbs of his sandwich for the next few minutes, clearly anxious about something. Mana kept most of the conversation going, and when she had tried to ask Atem about his behaviour, Mahad had silenced her with a quick glance._

_“I know you guys are trying to go easy on me, but you know I can see you, right?” the tricolour-haired boy muttered._

_“Then stop brooding and tell us what’s on your mind. I’m not going to pull it out of you, you should know that by now,” Mahad simply replied._

_Indeed he should. He just didn’t know how to breech the subject with his friends, his best friends, the ones he had actually manage to let in after all these years. They made quite the trio actually, all very awkward in their own way, but perfect for each other it seemed._

_“I just…”_

_Why was this so hard? It had not been this hard with his mother and Daniel. He knew why. He was afraid they’d leave him, that they would use this as an excuse to betray him, that they would..._

_A soft hand landed on his trembling one. “Hey, ‘tem. You know you don’t have to tell us anything, right?” Mana’s gentle voice reassured him._

_“It’s not that I don’t want to,” Atem replied, taking a sip from his water bottle._

_Mahad put down his half-eaten carrot and looked at him directly. “Okay, let me just get this out then: it this about you being gay? Because then we could just get on with our meal and enjoy the rest of this beautiful lunch time by bugging you about what’s your type.”_

_Atem spat his water, barely missing his best friend’s face as he did. Mana’s eyes bugged out the size of saucers. “Mahad!”_

_The aforementioned teenager just shrugged before picking back his vegetable. “I’m known for stating the obvious, not for being tactful about it.”_

_And Atem suddenly just laughed, and he did until tears were pooling in his eyes. He briefly wondered why he had thought this would be so hard, or that this would change anything between them. He should have known by now. Mahad and Mana were the most genuine people he had ever met. It had taken almost two years for him to completely open up to them, but he was glad he did._

_When he was finally able to stop laughing, he looked back at Mahad with a smirk. “I think I like bright eyes, like bam in your face! It’s all about the eyes, I tell you!”_

_Both of his friends smiled at him fondly._

The lights clicked off again, and he was engulfed by the darkness for a few seconds before they came back on. There were tall trees around him scattered around a college campus, but before he could make out any other details, hands wrapped around his eyes from behind and a soothing voice whispered in his ears.

He would recognize it anywhere, of course. Any child would recognize the voice of his mother anywhere. “Don’t think about him. Don’t go back there, Atem.”

Something shattered inside of him, like if someone had dropped a crystal vase on a hardwood floor and it had burst into thousands of tiny pieces flying everywhere. The hands evaporated from his face, so did the scenery, but the feeling stayed. He gripped at his chest as he fell to the dirty ground, his knees bucking from under him. The pain in his chest was so intense he felt he would stop breathing from all the pressure. Broken voices sounded all around in his head, reverberating against the very fabric of his mind. They kept repeating themselves over and over again

_“Hey, are you okay? You kind of space out for a moment, sweetie…”_

_“Your annoying lapdog is here.”_

_“You’re in the Good Place, Atem.”_

_“Captain, permission to speak freely?”_

_“Atem? Back in your body yet?”_

_“So you did just make a joke!”_

_“Good luck with whatever is happening with you guys.”_

_“Is your prince unable to form his own flattery he resorts to you doing it for him?”_

_“You might want to reconsider, my dear.”_

_“Are you satisfied with your care?”_

_“Are you satisfied with your care?”_

_“Are you satisfied with your care?”_

He seized his head between his hands, trying to get the voices to quiet, but blocking out his ears did nothing of course. He fisted his own hair, his head feeling like it was about to exploded from all the chaos inside it. “Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!” he yelled as loud as he could to cover all of them.

One voice suddenly stood out above all the others who quieted immediately. _“Don’t… move.”_

His eyes snapped open and Yugi was standing in front of him, wearing the same getup he had in the first reality they had encountered, his green leafy grieves around his calves, his tattered top with his sword on his back, strapped in the leather harness across his chest, his hair up in that high ponytail. His violet eyes were looking at him exactly as they did, but he was closer now and he could see the vivid emotions in them, that mix of fear and confusion and… care?

He unsheathed his sword, keeping his eyes on whatever was behind Atem, although he doubted they were suddenly being attacked by a giant snake once again.

“He’s not like him.”

That soothing voice was back and Atem glanced at his side to see his mother kneeling next to him. And another voice, dark and heavy with toxicity, sounded right next to his ear, like a ghost floating around his shoulder.

**Of course he is.**

Soft hands grabbed his face, forcing him to keep his focus on her. “He’s not like them.”

**We’re all the same.**

She shook her head gently. “He’s different.”

**Behind all his fake smiles, he’s not.**

Anathea’s thumbs rubbed his cheeks tenderly. “And deep down, you can feel it.”

**You can’t feel anything because I broke you.**

He did not know exactly when he had started crying, but he had. “Am I broken, Mother?”

She rested her forehead against his in the most loving gesture. “Maybe. But you’re not broken beyond repair, Atem. You just need someone to put you back together again. Like a puzzle. And so does he.”

His palms found on her hands on his face and rested on them, gripping them delicately. “How would you know?”

She waited a few seconds for him to open his eyes and look directly at hers, the same crimson shade staring back at him. “I don’t, but you do. You can see it. In his eyes.”

The Yugi from the first reality was still there, in his defensive stance, ready to pounce at whatever was waiting behind him. He suddenly brought his guard down and looked down at him, their eyes meeting. On his face appeared a smile that did not reach those pools of amethysts. Instead, in them, he found a deep sadness, but he could not explore it as Yugi faded like dissolving into millions of particles.

He felt a kiss on his forehead before the same thing started happening to his mother. ”Just give him a chance. Just one. That’s all I’m asking.”

And then nothing.

***

Someone was nudging him awake and when he opened his eyes, he felt so disoriented he forgot where he had been. A hand clasped on his mouth and his eyes met with a pair of ice blue ones.

“Don’t scream, you don’t want to alert anyone else, alright,” Rafael said before releasing his hold on the other’s mouth.

Atem realised he was half sitting, half lying down in the small cement cell he had been thrown into. The faint light coming through the high window was that of moonlight and it pitched a blueish hallow around the tiny room and on his fellow inmate. The door behind them was open and Atem could see an unconscious guard propped against it.

“What are you doing here?” the Egyptian whispered.

“This whole place reeks of corruption. Alister may be a jackass, but he never thought they would throw you in solitary. Not for something you didn’t even do. Took me two days to figure out how to break you out.”

Atem’s eyes widdened. Two days?! He had been stuck in this place two days while Yugi was somewhere alone in the blazing hot desert. He went to stand up rapidly, but fell back down instantly.

“Woah, there, cowboy. I know you’re worried about the little guy, but you have got to drink and eat before anything else.”

The tall blonde handed him a half-filled water bottle as well as dry piece of bread. “That’s all I could snatch, except the few things I provided for your trip.”

Atem quickly gulped down the water and bread, looking at the backpack the other was handing him. He saw a large canister of water inside with a few pieces of bread and damaged fruits. He took a few short minutes to make sure he would be stable enough when he got back up and Rafael helped him up just to be certain. He strapped the bag to his back and the bulky inmate took a look outside to make sure the coast was clear.

He turned back to him and pointed out. “He took off east, so that way, towards the mountains.” He sighed before adding: “Whether you find him or not, don’t come back here.”

Atem’s eyes filled with certainty. There was no hesitation in his reply. “I will find him.”

For the first time since he had met him here, a small corner smiled formed on Rafael’s face. “I know, don’t even know why I mentioned the alternative.”

Atem nodded firmly and took a couple of steps outside his cell, letting the cool night breeze awaken him fully. Before he dashed out there, he turned around one last time. “Why are you doing this?”

Rafael crossed his arms across is broad chest. “I told you. This place reeks.”

The other met his eyes with assurance. “That’s not what I meant.”

The blonde did not smile this time, but his words rang inside his ears, clear like church bells on a Sunday morning. “Because you and him, you don’t belong here, but you belong with each other.”

And they reached inside Atem’s chest, twisting around his heart, not like rose vines with thorns, but like the soft tendrils of the life pod he had held in his arms it seemed like an eternity ago: warm and tender, pulsing light inside him.

He ran out of the compound, never once looking back again.

Yugi was out there somewhere.

And he needed him.

***

When he did not run, he tried to keep a jogging pace or a walking one as fast as he could. It was unnerving how there was literally nothing around him but dried cracked land and the repetitive sound of his feet against it. He never once stopped moving forward, trying to close as much distance between him and the mountains as quickly as he could. He only saw holes, holes and more holes making sure to check that Yugi was not in any one of them. Every time, his heart would clench, but he only found snakes or the dreaded yellow spotted lizards he had been told about.

So he kept going, knowing that Yugi must have found a hiding spot somewhere. Hoping he had.

He could see the dawn slowly creeping up on the horizon and knew his reprieve from the heat was coming to an end. He would also have a huge target on his back, if anyone could spot him from such a distance, which he doubted, but still feared a little. He couldn’t estimate the right distance between him and what he saw right down the middle of his path, but something resonated within him.

If Yugi had not reached the mountains yet, he had most certainly been clever enough to find the perfect hiding spot. And this was the perfect hiding spot, Atem deemed.

He ran faster this time, using the adrenaline rushing through his veins to reach the upside down wooden boat abandoned in the middle of the desert. He almost stumbled as he circled it and noticed an opening on one side, like someone had dug their way under it. He dropped his backpack on the ground and kneeled down to look inside the hole. What he saw both reassured him and alarmed him.

Yugi was curled up on the ground, his face cheeks reddened from the sun with patches of dry skin, his eyes closed and his chest barely raising with each tiny laboured breath. Atem slid inside, pulling his backpack with him, crawling into the small space. A few cracks on the surface of the boat let in tiny rays of morning sunlight, but not enough to raise the heat level inside.

Yugi did not even react to his presence at first. Atem slowly raised a hand to brush messy bangs away from his forehead, trying to hush him awake. Purple eyes fluttered open with difficulty, but the other seemed to notice he was not alone anymore and tried to pull himself away from what he probably thought was danger. However, Atem was quick to calm his fear.

“Yugi, it’s me. I found you.”

Yugi’s unfocused gaze found his and it was as if a tsunami of relief hit him. With probably all the energy he could muster, he latched onto Atem like on a castaway on a buoy in a troubled sea and buried his face against his chest. Atem was so surprised by the gesture at first that he just did not move, completely stunned in the moment, but when he heard the uncontrollable sobs and the unmistakable movement in Yugi’s shoulders, he wrapped his arms around him tightly.

“It’s okay. We’re okay.”

For long minutes, they just stayed like this, both completely drained and exhausted, the only sound the soft crying coming from Yugi calming down slowly and just holding on to him like someone held on dear life. Finally, he pulled away, Atem loosening his grip as he sensed him moving. He instantly reached for his backpack and pulled out the canister of water.

“Drink,” he ordered the purple-haired man before he could say anything.

Yugi simply nodded without any protest and took the jug from him, drinking, but not too greedily, measuring each sip he took, as if wanting to savour every single one of them, but also save the only refreshment they had with them. He put the container down on the ground between them, as well as his gaze that evaded Atem’s in preference for the dust beneath them.

“Shit, I’m so sorry…” Yugi whispered.

Atem raised an eyebrow, not really understanding where this was coming from. “What for?”

Yugi passed a nervous hand through his hair, his eyes still avoiding him. “I mean, I just reacted, this whole thing is just too much and I-“

The tanned man reached out and grabbed that hand, something that always seemed to calmed the other down, and something he was tired of restraining himself from doing. “Yugi, did I push you away?”

The fingers still trembled against his own. “No, but I mean, I kind of did not give you a choice in the matter-“

He squeezed them in with a reassuring pressure. “Stop. Just stop. I needed it as much as you did, okay?”

Finally, the purple irises were back up and looking at him. “You did?”

He realised the next words out of his mouth had gotten him running all this time because he feared they might have been true. “I didn’t even know if I was going to find alive, Yugi.”

For a second, the eyes staring back at him shifted, the storm clearly visible in them and it swayed him strongly. He thought for sure that the clouds were about to burst, but then, the storm passed and the eyes drifted to the side again. Yugi let out a tiny chuckle. “As if I’d let you get rid of me that easily.”

If Atem had learned something, it was when not to try to bulldoze a wall when he saw one. Yugi was an escape artist used to hiding behind his humour when he felt vulnerable, that much he had learned. And he would not push the other. Not today. Not after what they had been through so far. So het let out his own little laugh. “Yeah, if only.”

When Yugi turned his face back to his, his eyes were back to their natural and casual state, a bit glazed from fatigue, but still very much him. He seemed to notice only now the state of Atem’s own face. “Fuck, are you okay? You look like someone beat the shit out of you!”

Atem rolled his eyes, faking shock. “Geez, thanks for the kind words. Way to cheer a guy up…”

Yugi’s fingers were on the side of his head instantly. “That’s not what I meant, but seriously, are you fine? Is that blood?”

Atem barely winced as fingers grazed at his head wound, probably mostly from the fact that some hair had gotten stuck in the blood. “Yeah, but it’s dried by now. I hit my head when Rafael took me down.”

There was an edge of worry to the other’s voice. “Does it still hurt?”

Atem sighed and reached for the hand to bring it back, away from his head. “I don’t really know. Honestly, everything kinda hurts right now, so I can’t tell.”

Yugi smiled and reached for the backpack the Egyptian had brought with him. He took out a piece of bread. “I know what you mean.” He took a large bite of food and sighed at his turn. “Man, even the most horrible food is tasty after two days!”

Atem’s response laugh was honest from such a genuine reaction from his friend. He also took a piece of food from the bag, his stomach now growling too. “So, what do we do now? Do you still have the puzzle piece?”

Yugi swallowed his bite and reached for the inside of his pocket. “Oh crap, I forgot about that!” He took out the golden trinket and held it for the other to take.

Atem munched on his battered apple while inspecting the piece. “Not glowing yet, I see…”

The paler man had also switched to a piece of fruit, his face showing his enjoyment as the juicy thing touched his lips. “About that. Something fucked up happened. It started flickering on and off for while, like it wanted to glow, but it just couldn’t.”

Atem did not know, but a few flashes of what had happened to him in his cell passed quickly right through his mind. “When did that happen?” he asked absentmindly.

Yugi seemed to want to recant his affirmation, almost shy about it. “I can’t quite recall, some time last night I think? Or maybe I just hallucinated it, I just felt it was real, not just in my head.”

The gamer searched for his eyes until he managed to lock them with his. “I don’t doubt you, Yugi. If you say it happened, it probably did.”

The designer kept insisting on his uncertainty, his eyes escaping Atem’s once again. “But I’m telling it may have been all in my mind. It doesn’t make any sense, really.”

He noticed the faint light before Yugi and smiled, holding up the piece right in front of his eyes. “Like it doesn’t make any sense for it to start glowing right now?”

Completely oblivious, the other just kept adding to his retaliation. “Exactly!” His head suddenly snapped back to his friend. “Wait, what?”

Yugi caught the piece delicately from Atem’s fingers dropping it into his hand and just stared at it, stunned. “Holy crap, I just can’t seem to understand this,” he muttered under his breath.

Atem finished his apple and rested his head against the wooden panels of the boat. “Me neither, Partner.”

There was a short pause in which Yugi settled next to him, their shoulders brushing. “I like that, I think.”

Crimson eyes glanced sideways. “What?”

Amethysts met them and the soft smile on Yugi’s lips reached them effortlessly. “That Partner thing.”

Atem smiled back instinctively, and the soft voice of his mother played back in his head, like a soft afterthought. _Just give him a chance._

“Well then, Partner, how about we get the hell out of here?” he offered the other, his voice as gentle as his smile.

He saw his friend swallow and thought for a moment he was frozen in place, but he shook his head and held a hand up in a waiting sign. “Just, one second.” He brought the puzzle piece to his mouth and started whispered to it, pleadingly. “Please, pretty please, could you… I don’t know, just send us in a TV show or movie where we could catch a tiny break?”

Atem rested his head against Yugi’s, staring at the glowing trinket. The proximity soothed him and he did not want to admit he liked it, maybe even craved it deep inside. “And take a shower.”

If Yugi minded the gesture, he did not show it. He just nodded vigorously. “Yes, and take a much needed shower.”

The Egyptian’s fingers curled around the paler man’s wrist gently. “Yugi?”

“Hum?” the other hummed more then actually replied.

His thumb brushed against the back of the slightly smaller hand in a soothing touch. “I’m sorry it took so long to get to you.”

There was a minute movement from Yugi’s head, like a cat would do when nudging the hand petting him. “Hey, the important thing is you got here, right?”

Atem cleared his throat and an idea formed in the back of his mind, and he just decided to indulge this new teasing side in him. “Yeah… Someone had to kind of break me out of solitary.”

He felt Yugi’s surprise more than he saw. “Wait, wha-“

And he clasped their hands together, enclosing the puzzle piece between them and activating the shift, a smile on his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The movie inspiration for this chapter was Holes, yup another Disney one, but I mean, far from anything nice and sweet in the original lolll
> 
> And because I can, and because you gooped me in your previous chapter, Pants, thank you for being such a great supporter and collaborator <3 Don't forget to check out her awesome fic too, Catalysts for Kindling!
> 
> See you soon!
> 
> My [Tumblr](https://xauroraxborealisx.tumblr.com/)


	14. Nocturne

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 13 - Rock Band AU
> 
> Hey there! Very long time no see! I did not mean to leave any of you hanging that long, my little Halloween side project happened and it got longer than expected. I really should stop expecting things to stay small... like this chapter. I have missed the puzzleboys and I'm glad I get to enjoy them again!
> 
> So finally, we are here! Rock Band! The plot thickens just like in the previous chapter, so I hope you'll enjoy this one as much as I enjoyed writing it!
> 
> Happy reading!

The first thing he noticed was the taste in his mouth, not from dry desert weather nor from the crusty days old bread he had munch on in the past few minutes it seemed, but something totally different.

Something quite normal actually with a heavy strawberry flavour.

“Will you stop chewing that shit for a minute so I can get your eyes done?”

And he totally recognized that voice.

He blinked a couple of times, trying to adjust to the very bright lighting filling his vision. The last time his eyes were open, he and Yugi were under an upside down wooden boat with very little sunlight filtering through. Now, there was a very blinding neon right in front of his face, completely disorienting him.

“Damn it, close your eyes or so help me god, I will stab you with this eyeliner right into your pretty irises, Atem!”

He obeyed, more because of the light hurting his eyes than the actual threat that was given to him. “Malik, why are you putting make-up on my face?”

He heard a loud overdramatic sigh before he felt the tip of an eyeliner brushing his upper eyelid. “I know you prefer to do it yourself, but this is my job, and honestly, I’m much better at it then you are.”

For a few seconds, Atem just tried to soak in what was happening with his eyes still closed. He had not caught a glimpse of much of anything, so he had to rely on his other senses. The bubble-gum in his mouth was overly sweet, but the chewing motion he tried to keep to a minimum was somewhat addicting, as if it was something he needed. The room smelled of chemical hair products, heated flattening irons and man’s cologne, which he guessed was coming from Malik. Not an unpleasant smell, but still very present.

His first thought was that the other man must be prepping him for something, some sort of public appearance, but he had no idea what he was in for. He tried making a list of movies and TV shows this could be related too, but his mind was elsewhere. He gripped the leather armrests of the chair he was currently sitting in and realised that he had been gripping something else a moment ago.

Yugi’s hand.

Shit.

Where was Yugi?

Was he okay?

He was almost relieved when Malik gave him a quick order to open his eyes and look up so he could finish his liner job. He took the opportunity to try to test the waters. Maybe he was not supposed to know who Yugi was here, maybe they were enemies like in Peter Pan, maybe… anything. But he had to know. “You wouldn’t happen to know where Yugi is, right?” he asked tentatively.

From the corner of his eye not being currently poked by the black liner in Malik’s hand, he saw the friendly smirk on his lips. “Chill, dude. I know you usually chat like schoolgirls before a performance, but orders have been given.”

Another voice came from behind his chair, one he had not heard since their trip to a famous hospital. “Thanks to who, huh?” Anzu chuckled.

Malik blew a raspberry her way. “Shut it, Anzu! Yugi and I are both equally to blame! And Atem too alright!”

He did not know if he did it out of instinct or curiosity, but he joined this impromptu conversation almost naturally and flawlessly. “Wait, what do I have to blame myself for again?”

Malik dropped the liner from his eye and leaned on the counter behind him. “Oh, you know! Last time, you and short stuff ended up late to your performance because you kept laughing and crying and I had to do your make-up over! I mean, the liners say waterproof, but it seems they’re not idiot proof!”

“And what’s your part in this?” he prompted again, now amused by this whole thing.

Malik crossed his arms over his chest, annoyed. “Nothing! Sis just requested I not be in charge of Bakura’s make-up anymore. I swear, she did this to bug me, she hates it when Kura grabs my ass.”

For a second, Atem tried to put the pieces together. Make-up, performances, the presence of Yugi, Bakura and Anzu along this with him. He swallowed as things seemed to aligned and he could feel his nerves starting to get restless. However, it was a good kind of restless, unlike the anxiety he had felt in some of the previous realities they had hit before.

Anzu laughed loudly from the back once again, welcomingly distracting him. “And as you have quite the opposite opinion about that, we know.”

To show he really meant it, Malik dropped a hand to his hips and swayed his butt playfully their way, making Atem chuckle too. He could learn to like this whole dynamic, it reminding him of his reality’s Malik who would never take shit from anybody. And who was probably banging Bakura too behind closed office doors, not that he could prove it. “Oh Anzu, I flaunt it just for him and you know it,” the make-up artist proclaimed.

Anzu’s eyes met Atem’s through her mirrored reflection in front of him and she smiled suggestively. “This is both terribly hot and disturbing. Like I’d want to watch, but I don’t know if my eyes could really take all that in.”

The blond Egyptian folded his hands on his heart, dramatically, but his smile was wide. “You’re such a pervert and I love you.”

She blew him a heartfelt kiss and smiled back. “Love you too, Malik.”

His eyes went back to Atem, his liner back in hand. “Now, handsome, will you stop squirming so I can do my job properly and not get my ass handed by the wrong person? I mean, what the hell have you been up?”

Atem raised an eyebrow, but realised this might also interfere with Malik doing his job so he dropped it back down. However, he had absolutely no idea once again what the other was talking about and he did not want to put his foot in his mouth. “What do you mean?”

“What do I mean?” the make-up artist laughed humourlessly. “The bags under your eyes could make Gucci blush by their sheer size and deep midnight colour, and you bring me back a brand new scar to conceal right on your forehead. I know I can work a miracle, but could you at least pretend to take care of yourself?”

He did not answer back. Yeah, well, Atem thought, if he had been on the same rollercoaster adventure that he and Yugi had over the past few days, or was it weeks now, maybe he would also be physically marked by exhaustion and accidents. He knew the scar was for his head wound in their recent trip to desert prison camp land, but he was happy he seemed refreshed a bit, no more in dire need of that shower he had mentioned right before they shifted.

He let Malik finish his job, and when he declared he was ready, Atem finally was able to take a good look at himself in the mirror that had been mostly blocked from his view before.

Holy crap. He might have made the right guess about this reality indeed.

Yes, his eyes were perfectly lined with thick black and decorated perfectly with well-placed dots and lines, he had expected that much, but the rest of himself came as a shock for a few seconds.

He started assessing everything from the top, from his carefully pulled hair into a neat ponytail, his usually spikes now exploding from being restrained by an elastic instead of being wild all over the place. His blond bangs still framed his face, masterfully crafted like a perfect Polaroid picture. His ears were covered with silver rings from top to lob, where they had been adorned with long zipper pendants. He rather dug those earrings; they were pretty fashionable to be honest.

He was dressed with a sleeveless black hooded vest lined with crimson red stiches and zipper, but he was naked under there, not even a black t-shirt or tank top to cover his chest. He was glad then that the zipper was not pulled down lower than that. He had on a tight pair of red jeans, ripped in all the right places, neatly tucked into long laced Doc Martens boots, the laces also a beautiful shade of ruby like all the previous details in his outfit.

His wrist were covered by large and numerous black leather cuffs studded with metal, and his fingers had been decorated with a few rings, but nothing that made his fingers uncomfortable as he flexed them repeatedly. But what really made him do a double take in front of the mirror was the chain wrapped around his neck, hanging loosely on his chest, on which was a very familiar pendant: a golden puzzle piece.

How had that happened? How had that been this easy?

But he did not feel the excitement he usually had when they found the puzzle piece. He knew finding it was only step number one. He had found it early on in the previous shift, and everything had gone to hell after that.

Suddenly, he needed to find Yugi, to see him, to insure he was okay, although he had been previously assured he was. He did not even have time to voice his question that it was already answered by Anzu looking at him.

“Go on and talk to him, I can feel your jitters all the way up to here! Like you two were ever good at following rules anyway,” she winked at him.

Malik pushed him back down on the chair as he was about to get up. “On one condition, give Bakura’s ass a smack from me if you see him!”

Atem blushed furiously at the comment and swatted the hand away from his chest. “And risking the chance of him smacking me back right across the face? Hell no!” he replied.

“He wouldn’t do that,” Malik trailed innocently.

“He totally would,” Anzu and Atem both answered in unison.

Before he could reach the door to go look for his traveling companion, it opened to reveal Otogi, but not as a doctor this time, but as a put-together man with a rocky edge. Atem could feel he was not on the same level as the other people in the room and he sensed both Anzu and Malik sit straighter, but not tense up per say.

“Hey boss man! They’re ready for you!” Malik pointed both the other Egyptian and Anzu.

“Perfect!” the man who Atem now assumed was probably the manager of their band replied. “Performance starts in 15, then they’ll interview you guys, and after that, wrap up with a couple of the songs from the new album.”

“We know the drill, this isn’t out first rodeo, Ryuji,” Anzu offered with a smile.

Otogi rolled his eyes at the gesture, but smiled back nonetheless. His eyes than landed on Atem who was still standing next to the door. “Are you thinking of slipping out and going against my new rule?”

Atem tried to maintain an innocent front, but it seemed this new rule was meant to keep him and Yugi from goofing around, and he was thinking precisely of finding the man he had been kept away from. “No?” he responded.

“You are such a bad liar,” his manager said, shaking his head. “Go, can’t have you breaking your lucky ritual or something, whatever it is you guys vibe about right before a performance,” he added motioning to the door.

Atem wanted to reply something along the lines of ‘Sir, yes, sir!’, but refrained from doing so, opting to bolt out when he was given the opportunity. After he excused himself, he opened up the door to escape and find Yugi, but he did not have to look very far. The door opposite his room opened almost at the exact same moment and out poured Yugi whom he instantly recognised by his large purple eyes now carefully framed by thick eyeliner like his.

He hoped the other did not catch his gulp as he took in the sight.

Yugi had been charismatic as Lucifer.

Yugi had been somewhat adorable as a teenager with blue hair.

Yugi had been regal as Aladdin.

Now, Yugi as a member of an alternative rock band…

Damn it, he did not need these thoughts in his head. Not when he was barely holding it together after what had happened to him in the previous reality. Not when he was finally accepting that this friendship between him and Yugi was important to him. Not when he was confused about everything.

Atem tried to rationalize his feelings by remembering how he used to look at posters and pictures of his favourite bands as a teenager, and how Yugi was dressed exactly to fit the bill of the group’s singer, he assumed.

Ishizu, who he understood did his make-up as Malik informed him previously, had also put Yugi’s hair into two low pigtails, popping up from behind his head like two tiny feather dusters. His bangs had been swept to one side and were held together by two large black and white checkered hairpins. His ears were also adorned with a few rings.

Atem dropped his eyes to avoid Yugi’s inquisitive and very ensnaring ones. He spotted the other was sporting black high-top converse shoes that went to his calves, the shoelaces marked with the same checkered pattern as the hairpins. The motif was also repeated on a pair of suspenders that were currently not doing their assigned job as they were used as decorative instead of useful, handing on the sides over a pair of large black Tripp pants that cut just below Yugi’s knees.

Yugi’s fingers were fidgeting on his thighs, his hand and wrists covered with black fingerless gloves that were tied with a small buckle twisted around his wrists, a few carefully placed studs on his knuckles. Atem risks looking higher and almost regretted it instantly. There was a familiar buckle choker around his neck, larger than the one Yugi usually went for in their reality, but that was not threw his composure off.

His companion was wearing a cropped short-sleeve sweater, the sleeves white and the rest of it black.

Yugi was wearing a crop top, the creamy and smooth skin of his stomach exposed for all the world to see.

For Atem to see.

At this precise moment, he did not know if he wanted to poke the other right in the navel or if he wanted to drop a kiss right next to it.

Wait what?!

Atem could not breathe or focus anymore. He purposely hid his face behind his hands and turned around, trying to calm down. He found himself chewing harder on his bubble-gum and his fingers reaching for his lips. He knew that habit; he had seen many people do that. His persona was aching for a cigarette right now, and he assumed it had just recently quit hence the gum. So maybe this whole wanting to peck the flawless skin of Yugi’s abdomen was just that: another wave of his persona, maybe one who had a stomach fetish or something.

“Atem, are… are you okay?” Yugi’s soft voice inquired behind him.

A hand dropped on his shoulder and a breath hitched in his throat. Damn it, what was wrong with him? This was Yugi, just Yugi. He took a deep breath, focused on the gentle voice of his mother he had heard before. Sure, Yugi was somewhat attractive, but that was it. He was a friend, one who he started to know more during this adventure, but that was it.

He used this moment to blow a large bubble from his gum, one that popped loudly as he turned back around.

“Yeah, just dizzy. Must be from nicotine withdrawal,” he managed with a smirk.

Yugi big purple eyes bugged out, the liner making them even brighter. “You smoke?!”

Atem chuckled, a hand going through his bangs, pushing them back, but they stubbornly fell against his face as they always did. “No, but I’m pretty sure my persona did and quit not too long ago.”

Yugi joined him in his laughing and scratch the back of his neck nervously, the two tiny pigtails wiggling as he did so. “Oh, well, yeah, that could explain it.”

Atem’s gaze fell to his own feet, shuffling against the ground. “So, we’re in a band, huh?”

It was Yugi’s turn to hide behind his hands now. “Yeah, and apparently I sing AND play the keyboard. Let’s just hope the persona kicks in soon enough.”

The Egyptian’s curiosity was peaked at this comment. “You can feel it too? What’s the persona and what’s you?”

“Yeah, most of the time, it’s mostly me, but sometimes, the persona is pretty strong, like in the Big Hero Six movie. But the past few ones, it’s been more like a second nature kind of thing, where I’m in control and I know it, and the person just kicks in to help me get through the reality and…”

Yugi’s voice trailed and Atem noticed his eyes went to his chest, and so did his hand, slowly grabbing the puzzle piece. His finger barely grazed his skin, but he swore he felt the lightest of sparks when they did. “Woah, you already found it again?”

Yugi was closer now, and he wanted to feel uncomfortable about it, but he found he did not. They had gotten closer in the last few realities, comforting each other in their endeavour, but this casual proximity was new, and although he could not quite put the right emotion on it, he knew there was a part of him that enjoyed it. “Actually no,” he answered, trying to focus on their conversation. “It was there when I came to.”

As if suddenly realising how close he had indeed gotten to Atem, the purple-haired man dropped the puzzle piece back on his chest and took a step back, words tumbling out of his mouth quickly. “Oh crap, sorry, personal barriers and everything and I just went straight into your bubble and you know, I-”

“Hey, Yugi, it’s okay, I probably would have done the same thing.”

The door from which Yugi emerged opened up again and he recognized Bakura with his trademark white hair, dressed the part like Yugi and him. He grunted and rolled his eyes as he saw his two bandmates. “I see they let the children out again. Does Otogi know?”

“He does, gave me his blessing and all,” Atem smirked at him.

Bakura just huffed before strutting down the corridor towards the exit, where Atem assumed they were supposed to go soon. He remembered Malik’s request, and whether because he felt suddenly mischievous, or because he wanted to annoy Bakura as he would never dare do in their own reality, he made a prompt decision.

“Speaking of personal barriers… Would you… just a second, alright?” he whispered to Yugi, who simply had the time to raise an eyebrow before Atem left him on the spot.

He jogged right behind Bakura and, while bracing for a possible drawback, slapped his hand loudly on one of the other’s leather-clad butt cheek, the sound resonating through the almost empty hallway.

“From Malik!” he yelled while running back down to Yugi, keeping his eyes on Bakura just in case this one would start running after him.

“You fucker!” the other band member yelled back, flipping him off. “You won’t get away with this.”

And to add insult to injury, Atem just stuck his tongue out at him

“I. Cannot. Believe. You. Just. Fucking. Did. That,” Yugi focused on each of his words, his mouth hanging and his eyes wide, but there was laughter threatening to burst in them.

Anzu suddenly came straight out of the room, wondering was the racket was about. After she noticed Bakura’s slight irritated blush, she giggled and grabbed both his and Yugi’s hand, leading them towards the exit. “Come on, boys, let’s get this show on the road, shall we?”

***

They were both still standing frozen in front of the double metal door separating them from the rest of their bandmates.

Anzu had let go of their hand when they had reached them and left them on their own after promptly declaring she was timing them. “Okay, two minutes, that’s all you get for this ritual of yours. Your time starts now.” And she had left them to join Bakura who was already getting ready.

Atem was still staring at the door. “Do you have any idea what everyone’s talking about?”

Yugi was stuck in the exact same position. “This ritual thing? No idea. And my persona’s not in a sharing mood, it seems.”

They still had not moved a muscle, and it almost felt as if crickets chirping could be heard if they had been outdoors. Atem heard the rubber soles of Yugi’s Converse shoes against the concrete floor as he shifted.

“I… hum, you look good.”

Well, he certainly did not expect to hear that.

“Thanks. So do you.”

And he certainly had not expected to voiced that out loud.

Yugi cleared his throat and quickly changed the subject. “So what instrument are you suppose to play?”

Atem was about to answer he had no idea when suddenly the answer appeared in his mind. “Lead guitar.”

Yugi giggled, and the previously awkward exchange was suddenly over just like that. “You just realised it, right?”

Atem nodded, turning to face him. “Totally.”

Purple eyes looked at him quizzically. “And you’ve never played it before?”

He just nodded again, as if it was the only thing to do. “Totally. You ever touched a keyboard before?”

Yugi pfffed loudly, hands on his hips. “Other than a computer’s? Nope.”

The Egyptian touched a hand to his heart. “Look at us go, two nerds now in a rock band. Who would have guessed huh?”

A hand slapped him playfully on the chest. “Speak for yourself, I’m no nerd.”

He closed the distance between them to look straight into the violet eyes. “Keep lying to yourself… nerd.”

And he pushed the door leading to the stage.

Anzu was already adjusting her drums, testing out different sounds, leveling her stool, when they both join their mates on stage. On the largest drum was etched the name of their band in a pure fashionable rock design: Exodia. Atem chuckled at the name and he turned to check if Yugi had gotten in on the joke, but he noticed that he had stopped next to the keyboard, his fingers hovering above it, trembling.

When he finally offered his eyes to Atem, they were filled with confusion and alarm, and he just shook his head before quickly darting back behind the stage. The Egyptian turned to face Bakura who shrugged, but his eyes betrayed his worry about his bandmate. He nodded towards the backstage, encouraging Atem to go check what was wrong with their front man.

He found his friend sitting against the wall, his arms wrapped around his knees, head hidden behind them. He squatted in front of him, placing a gentle hand on one of his, squeezing it in reassurance. He did not say anything because he recognized the sure sign of what seemed to be a panic attack, from the way Yugi had just bolted out suddenly to the way his breath was laboured even if muffled by his arms. Mana had been very prone to them, he had helped her deal with them many times.

Nimble fingers squeezed his own back and a tiny voice came out. “I can’t do this.”

Atem kneeled down, getting only slightly closer. “Alright, just calm down, okay.”

The head shook violently against the knees. “I can’t calm down. I can’t breathe, I just…”

The guitarist tentatively guided Yugi’s head to lift with a gentle hand on his cheek. “Just follow my breathing, Yugi. Just one deep breath at a time.”

For the next minute, the singer rested his face against the other’s palm and tried to mimic his breathing by listening to it, his eyes tightly closed. When his breathing finally evened, he managed to lift his eyelids, his purple irises still filled with fear.

Atem’s hand still had not moved from his cheek when he whispered very low, “I have stage fright.”

The Egyptian frowned in complete disbelief. “What?”

Yugi took a long deep breath before he spoke barely louder. “I’m terrified of going up on a stage and speak in front of a whole audience.”

Atem’s eyebrows went up. How could this man usually so confident about everything be afraid to address a crowd when this was basically part of his job description? “But, I mean, you’ve done it plenty of times before. I’ve seen you alongside Kaiba and your team in press conferences multiple times.”

The other nodded accordingly, still clutching his knees to his chest. “And each time, I was a fucking nervous wreck for days before and Kaiba knew this. Hell, he even paid for meditation lessons for me!”

Atem opted to let go of Yugi’s face and instead grabbed both of his hands as he sat down in front of him, trying to get him to open up a bit, something he remembered worked really well with his childhood best friend. “So what makes this any different?” he simply asked.

The hands shook in his. “Atem, what if I screw up? What if I forget the words of the song I’m supposed to know by heart? What if I stumble upon the keys? What if I make a fool out of myself and embarrass the whole band?”

In exchange for all that worry, Atem offered him the most reassuring smile he could muster. “And what if you don’t?”

Yugi’s mouth gape opened and after a few seconds, he just closed it back, prompting Atem to continue. “Yugi, I’ve seen you fight a giant snake, be the Devil, hit someone with a shovel right across the face. Heck, you’ve even delivered a baby!”

His companion’s clear laugh filled the backroom as he nervously replaced a couple of bangs behind his ear. “I did that, huh?”

The Egyptain gave another squeeze to the hand still in his, settling its trembling once and for all. “Yeah, so see? You’ve got this.” He then motioned between the two of them. “We’ve got this. I’ll be right beside you on that stage.”

He stood up and pulled the other with him gently. For a second, all he wanted to do was pull Yugi into a hug, one he felt the other might need, and he realised he might have needed it too. But this would be pushing it for sure, and he did not know if he was ready to take that step.

And he feared if he did, it would be one more step towards these whole complications his mind seemed keen on adding to their relationship.

***

The performance had gone better than he could have hoped for. When he had picked up his guitar, it was like his fingers instantly felt at home on it, and they slid against the chords effortlessly. The only time he had almost stumbled about them was when Yugi had opened his mouth and started singing.

Holy shit.

Who knew his coworker packed such a powerful voice? It was just the right tone for their musical style, and for a moment, he had felt star struck, like a teenager coming to watch his favourite band play for the first time live in his life. He thanked his persona’s professionalism and probably the fact that he was used to hearing that voice, and he was able to rapidly recover and focus on his own part in the band.

He made sure to make a few eye contacts with Yugi to check on him after his panic attack. Yugi had spoken nervously into his microphone at first to welcome the crowd, but no one seemed to mind at all. After the first song, he could sense the other relaxing and just living this completely surreal experience with him.

They were playing in a small studio, one he had recognized from his earlier years. They were the band invited on this week’s MTV Unplugged Special, as they had been introduced at the beginning. They were dropping their new album the following week and would give their fans a nice exclusive taste.

The crowd indoor looked to be about a hundred selected people, but he had glanced outside and noticed the streets surrounding the buildings were lined with fans, large posters proclaiming their love for the band or a member in particular. One was even asking if Bakura wanted to get married, which had Atem smiling probably a little too much.

Next to the stage was an interview area with two couches and a loveseat to accommodate the band members and the interviewer, another familiar face who had already taken her seat. It was good to see Shizuka again, this time, dressed in more clothing that he had last seen her in, and not running away from a horrible situation across a scorched desert, fighting for her right to live freely.

He was guided by a crewmember to one of the couches and Anzu was placed next to him. She immediately propped her feet on the couch over his knees, and almost instinctively, he laid his arms on her elevated knees. Yugi was seated cross-legged the closest to him on the other couch, and Bakura had leisurely sprawled himself on the couch, his head on Yugi’s lap and his feet dangling over the armrest at the opposite side of it. Yugi’s eyes had bulged for a second there, but he seemed to realised that this was quite usual for his bandmate to do, so he went with it, just like Atem did.

The interview started out with simple questions that were easy enough to answer, the information right at the top of his thoughts, given to him by his persona. Yugi seemed more comfortable with the interview part than the performance and he even made a few jokes here and there, as Atem felt he had been more comfortable on stage, and responded with shorter and more hesitant sentences than his friend.

They talked about their upcoming album, Forgotten Memories, and their creative process, as well as a few personal inquiries that would please the fans. Bakura shifted a few times on the couch, making Shizuka laugh every time because Yugi kept making these funny faces at his every new position, being treated as another couch cushion. Anzu was sweet and opened about her answers, and fakely whined about being the only girl in their band. It was all very casual and fun, really.

Until Shizuka directed another question his way.

“So Atem… there’s a rumour and I’d like to get to the bottom of it if I may?”

Nothing good ever came out of rumours when it came to celebrity. He braced himself for what was about to be thrown his way, and he could sense Anzu tense up next to him, but only perceivable by him and no one else.

“They say you’ve gotten a few injuries recently and people are starting to wonder if you’re somewhat of a bad boy getting into trouble. I’ve seen a few bruises on pictures and I think I can see something new on your forehead. Is there a secret fight club we should know about?”

His mind went completely blank. What could he say to that? It was not like he could tell her the real reason why his body was coloured at various spots now and why a scar had appeared on his face. Yugi had them too, but his outfit seemed to hide them better than his. His persona did not offer any support as to what he could reply to this particular question, and he had never been that good at improvising and time seemed to be ticking as his silence went on and he had to say something anything and-

“Okay, he’s a bit shy about this, so I’ll answer for him if you don’t mind, Shizuka,” Yugi’s voice cut his nervous train of thought. “Atem is actually really into Capoeira, but with the previous tour, he couldn’t practice it as much. And you know how it is when you get back into something you haven’t done in a while. Believe me, he still kicks butts at it, but he’s had a few mishaps to get back into shape, that’s it."

His eyes met Yugi’s as he finished his explanation and he was taken aback by what he had just said. Because that was the truth, a truth about the real him in their own reality. However, he did not remember ever sharing that information with anyone at work. So how did Yugi know about this?

Yugi just kindly smiled back at him and the moment passed just as quickly as it had happened. The interview went on, and they were finally given a break before getting back into the second half of their performance. As they were setting back up, he caught Yugi aside while he was downing the rest of his water bottle.

He made sure his voice was low enough for none of the others to hear them. “How did you know?”

Yugi finished his gulp and looked at him with a raised eyebrow. “How did I know what?” he asked back.

Atem did not know why he felt so nervous, maybe because of all the pressure around them or the energy he still felt lingering from the interview. “That I do Capoeira?” he prompted.

Yugi just shrugged it off, but there was a slight hesitation in his gaze, one that almost went by unnoticed, but the other had started to be quite perceptive when it came to those eyes. “I heard it at work, I guess,” Yugi supplied.

His suspicion did not waver, and he did not know why it bothered him that much. It was just a fact about him, nothing more, nothing that personal even. But not a known or proclaimed fact. “I never talk about it, not even with Malik.”

Yugi’s eyes shifted to the side and he noticed one of his shoelaces was coming undone, so he bent down to tie it back. “You probably mentioned it to Jou while I was there, then. You just don’t remember,” his hand waved dismissively.

He kept insisting, to his better judgement. “I would remember you being there.”

Yugi came back up and a flash of something akin to hurt flew across his purple irises, his eyes that always seemed to speak more than his mouth did. “Would you really?”

This tiny spark went straight to his core. His whole demeanour soften immediately and his next words held a completely different, something truthful and gentler. “I would have notice, sure.”

He saw the shift again, Yugi hiding behind his smile and his casual sense of humour, once again shielding himself behind those fragile glass walls. “Atem, you’ve barely started noticing me now.”

He almost blurted the words that were on the tip of his tongue, but he held them back with such strength it internally hurt to do so.

_“I’ve noticed you a long time ago.”_

Instead, he swallowed them and let out very different ones instead. “Well, just thank you. For having my back there.”

Yugi finished the very last drop of water in his bottle and offered him one of his trademark smiles. He motioned towards Atem’s guitar and he sat behind his keyboard, readjusting his microphone. “Now, let’s finish this!” he exclaimed happily before giving Atem a look filled with kindness. “I saw the way you loved performing earlier, so why not enjoy it? We’ve had very few fun moments recently.”

Atem completely let go of this issue to focus on the exhilaration he had indeed felt while playing and singing a bit here and there. “You’re right,” he replied with his own smile. “I guess I’m just still tired. And the puzzle piece still hasn’t glowed, so who knows, we might get a good night sleep,” he finished with a wink to his partner.

Yugi pointed a strict finger his way, frowning. “Don’t jinx it! Please, I’d kill for a soft bed right about now!”

They both laughed loudly as Bakura picked up his bass and called them both bat shit crazy. He gave his chords a strong flick, the sound reverberating through the sub-woofer of the large speakers. “Come on ladies, let’s make some noise!”

***

Atem loved every second of it.

He loved it enough to tell himself he should pick a guitar at home and try it. Maybe the persona would have somehow given him some basic understanding of how to handle one, wishful thinking he knew, but he would probably still give it a try.

Yugi, who had been announcing the title of every single one of their songs right before they played them, declared this to be their last one for the evening, a new piece from their upcoming album once again, something smoother than they had offered. The fans cheered at this novelty and even Shizuka smiled from her position on the sidelines. Yugi eyed each of his bandmates one at a time to make sure they were ready and ended with Atem, flashing him a bright smile and silently mouthing the words: “Enjoy this.”

Atem’s fingers started a guitar beat, perfectly matching one coming from Yugi’s keyboard, some song filled with a lingering sadness straight from the top. And this time, when the singer offered the first words of the song to the public, Atem felt hypnotized by them, by their mesmerizing notes, but also by their meaning. And he let them come inside willingly as Yugi spoke them. Words written by none of them, but somehow they resonated with him too much for his own liking. He wondered if Yugi felt them as much as he did, and he mentally cursed his frail mind for even thinking this had anything to do with them.

He glanced sideways and the beauty of the imagery he was currently witnessing just added itself up on top of the mess of emotions he was at the moment. Yugi’s fingers were gliding flawlessly on the keyboard, small hands with agile fingers dancing on the keys. The singer had closed his eyes, the black tasteful eyeshadow on them shimmering under the dimmed stage lighting. His lips were so close to the microphone and carefully carving up lyrics before offering them to the crowd.

To him, Yugi look both transcendent and vulnerable at the same time, and it was so stunning it bordered on intoxicating.

Shit.

What the hell was wrong with him? What was this persona doing to him?

As Atem had done countless times this evening, doing back vocals along Yugi for most choruses, Bakura sometimes even joining in, he voiced out the chorus with his band singer. This time, it was only Yugi’s melodious voice filled with such an underlying melancholy, and his own laced with feelings that mirrored the ones he did not want to dwell on, putting words to the confusion he felt.

And he use the intensity of it all to just let go for once.

_Should've done something but I've done it enough_

_By the way your hands were shaking_

_Rather waste some time with you_

_Should've said something but I've said it enough_

_By the way my words were fading_

_Rather waste some time with you_

As the notes faded just like the song itself, Yugi opened up his eyes and crimson met amethyst. And Atem was left with one resonating thought as the crowd erupted into applause.

What if…?

What if the persona had nothing to do with this?

Yugi tore his eyes away from him to greet the cheering of the fans with a luminous smile.

Atem wished the thought away, blowing on it like one would do on a candle, the wisps of it still lingering like a thin veil of smoke in his mind.

***

He honestly did not remember much about how they actually decide to go to a bar instead of just back to their designated hotel. Not because something definite happened, but because everything happened in such a blur. Their performance ended and technicians started quickly picking the stage apart, the band’s roadies taking care of the instruments and everything. Shizuka had thanked them for such a fun evening, and Bakura had asked her where they could “get shit-faced quietly” around the area. He remembered Otogi facepalming at that, but he internally thank the white-haired man for asking.

He could definitely go for a drink right about now.

Bakura was leading, Anzu hitching a piggyback ride from him about halfway there, Malik casually strutting next to them. Right behind them was Otogi, holding hands with Ishizu in quiet conversation, but Ishizu kept smiling. Atem had to say they did make a cute couple, although he would have never pictured them together in their reality if he had been asked.

He found himself hanging in the back as they walked along the streets of Toronto, the city where the MTV Canada studio was located. He was kind of glad they had ended up here instead of the New York branch, where walking down the streets would have been totally impossible without anyone recognizing them. If they were a big enough band to score such a gig, they were big enough to get harassed by fans everywhere.

But the streets were uncharacteristically calm for a warm Friday night, with them following what Shizuka suggested as the best road to get to a more secluded bar. Otogi had previously made a phone call, and they would have access to the top floor, with a smaller crowd, bouncers at the door to keep the paparazzi and fans away.

Yugi had fallen in step with him, but he seemed hesitant to start a conversation until it was like he could not hold the words inside him anymore. “Are you okay?” he asked.

Atem cocked his head to the side. “Sure, why wouldn’t I be? We have not been attacked yet, have not suffered any injuries, and unless you count your short panic attack, I’d say we’re killing it softly in this reality, don’t you think?”

Yugi rolled his eyes, but the inquisition in them was still very present. “That’s not what I meant. You just seemed off back at the studio and I wondered if…” he trailed, hesitating.

“If what?” Atem prompted, encouraging him to finish his thought.

Right then, in the spam of a short second, he felt the desire to grab Yugi’ hand and hold it in his own while they traveled down the street. Maybe it was seeing the happy couple in front of him, but there was something else there and he knew. The last few times he had had Yugi’s hand in his own, it had felt casual, natural. It had felt good.

But he could not do that. This would once again be pushing it, he reminded himself. And he realised that the one thing he did not want to do was push Yugi away.

Not when he now felt he needed this closeness that had grown between them.

Yugi’s words cut through his uncertainty. “Did I do or say something wrong?”

The Egyptian stopped walking abruptly. He needed to reassure his companion that he had done absolutely nothing wrong, but he could not even begin to fathom explaining what was really going on inside his head. “Why would you think that?” he demanded instead.

Yugi angled his body his way, but there was a reserved notion from his posture, his hands tucked tightly in his pants pockets, his eyes on the ground. “I don’t know, okay? You’re a tough guy to read, you know that?”

Atem chuckled, trying to lighten the mood, but mostly trying to steer the conversation away from himself. “Like you’re one to talk.”

That got Yugi to perk up his head in feigned indignation. “What are you talking about? I’m an open book!” he exclaimed with a grand gesture to show his meaning.

The other pfffed at him and started walking again to regroup with the others. “Don’t play smart with me,” he said, a couple of steps away from the purple-haired man.

“Oh we both know I’m smarter than you!” Yugi proclaimed as he jogged to catch up with him.

Bakura’s voice sounded above all the city noise a block away from them. “Hey, geezers, stop blabbering like chickens and hurry it up! I’m thirsty!”

He was pointing at the sign above him, Anzu still on his back, grinning at the two boys that were now running to join them. The group then entered all together and were ushered rapidly to the elevator at the back of the bar that led them to the top floor. The décor itself was not over the top glamourous, but it was modern for something dating back to 10 years prior to their home reality. The lighting was dim enough to cast a warm glow over the wooden surface of the floor and bar, along which were set brass metal stools with leather seats. There were a few booths and tables scattered all around the floor, and in a room adjacent to this one was a dance floor, one which Atem had no intention of using.

Anzu sat down in a booth with the manager and his girlfriend, and two of the roadies who had joined them for the evening. Bakura went straight to the bar, his hand tucked inside Malik’s back pocket as he pulled him along. Atem shook his head at the image and headed towards the bar too, hopping on a stool and inviting Yugi to take a seat next to him.

It was weird how a part of him kept yelling to keep the other at bay, while the other craved for the proximity that had grown between them over the past few days, or maybe weeks by now. Yugi was his anchor to reality, the reminder that he was not alone in this strange journey.

“What are you having?” Yugi inquired, his voice louder because of the booming music around them.

“I need a beer,” he answered right as his stomach growled. “And food.”

“Definitely food,” Yugi added enthusiastically.

It took barely a minute for two beers appear before them, and another 5 for a plate of zesty chicken wings to land on the bar right in between the two of them. They both looked at each other for a long second before diving into the plate of food, a happy sigh leaving their lips almost simultaneously.

“Fuck, this is good!” Yugi mumbled, not giving a care in the world that he was taking with a mouthful.

Atem relinquished on the taste of the wings, reminded how they had not eaten anything decent in the past realities. Count Siegfried had barely fed them at all, with the leftover crumbs of his meals mostly, and prison camp food had mostly been dried, tasteless or close to rotten.

The words were out of his mouth before he could think them through. “I think I could come right now just from this.”

Yugi, who had been taking a large gulp of his beer, spat it violently on the counter, only just able to keep some of it in his mouth. He wiped his mouth and went to grab a couple napkins, but the bartender was faster and cleaned up his mess with a rag, and a quick wink his way. Enlarged purple eyes turned Atem’s way accompanied by a gaping mouth.

“You can’t say things like that when someone’s drinking!” he said.

Atem felt a furious blush rise of his cheeks. “I said that out loud, didn’t I?”

Yugi’s clear laugh chimed over the rock music in the background. “Hell yeah, you did!” He shook his head in disbelief. “Hell yeah, you did.”

The Egyptian smiled and clinked his beer with the other’s. “Cheers to food orgasms then.”

The paler man laughed again, and Atem found himself thinking he really liked that mellifluous sound, just like music to his ears.

**He seems nice.**

The words had barely any effect on him, but the voice who pronounced them did, sending an icy chill deep through his bones instantly. It felt like it had been whispered in his ear and he spun around on his stool, almost falling off it.

But there was no one sitting close to him except Yugi.

He must have imagined it, some leftover remains of his dream down freaky memory lane that happened while he was tripping alone in his concrete prison cell in the previous reality.

“Woah, there, everything alright?” a reassuring voice calmed his alit nerves.

Atem took a swig of his beer to give himself some time to formulate an answer. “Yes, it’s nothing. I thought for a moment I heard someone I used to know.”

He knew Yugi did not mean to be invasive, just comforting as he asked: “Who?”

The other was quicker this time to reply. “No one important.”

**I am vexed, handsome.**

He could feel the hair on his neck stand straight as the voice responded to his comment, just like if the person it belonged to had been sitting right there, right next to them, in this very bar. Atem would have believed it very unlikely to happen if they had been back home, but they were not. Trying to act nonchalant and non-suspicious, he gave a quick look over the whole area.

**Not there, handsome. Look over here.**

Another suave whisper was spoken into his ear, like a ghost haunting him, unknowingly to everyone around him. Atem would have preferred it to be a ghost. As if he suddenly knew where the voice was coming from, his eyes directed themselves to the long mirror behind the bar in front of which laid dozens of liquor bottles.

That’s when he saw him, sitting on the stool to his left, casually resting his head on his hand and smirking at him, a devious glint into his snake-like golden eyes. But he was only there, only present in the reflection, only present for him to see, the only possible victim to his hellish taunting.

**Hey handsome. Long time no see, eh?**

Atem did not want to see him, did not even want to think about his name. He went for another sip of his beer, but found the bottle to be empty. He eyed Yugi’s drink and noticed his was also empty. His throat felt dry and he wanted to clench his thirst with something that would also erase the torturous portrait reflected back to him.

“Care for another one?” Yugi offered before he could.

He could feel his tormentor’s eyes on him and only him, and he tried to stop his fingers from twitching at the overwhelming uneasiness he sensed building up inside him. He needed that voice to be gone. He needed that face to be gone. He needed…

“Hey girlies! How about a couple of shots to celebrate a job well done?”

Bakura’s suggestion sounded very much like a beacon of light in the darkness of his thoughts. Yugi’s purple irises met his crimson ones and inside them was a flash of something Atem had learned to appreciate over the course of this adventure: a look of apprehension when facing a challenge.

“Are you game?” he asked, a playful smirk on his lips.

Maybe this was what he needed, to just let go for once.

Just this once.

“Are you?” he replied, mimicking his smirk.

**Oh, so you’re set on ignoring me? That’s okay, I’ll do the talking.**

Atem pushed the now empty plate of wings away from them, setting the stage for what was about to happen. Bakura and Malik had joined them, the four of them now occupying the corner of the bar as one of the bartenders approached them, ready to take their order. However, he already had 4 shots ready for them, probably paid by someone else in the bar, but he did not care who at the moment.

He took two of them and handed one to Yugi who accepted it. They all clinked their glass before downing their contents quickly. The acrid taste of vodka coated his mouth and he made a small grimace. Yugi blinked rapidly, pursing his lips. Bakura ordered a few rounds of the same thing for him and Malik.

Yugi motioned to all the bottles, looking at Atem. “What’s your poison?”

**Kindness is totally your poison, handsome.**

The Egyptian pushed back the harsh words he wanted to scream at the mocking reflection. He grounded himself by catching a glimpse of amethyst and feeling a wave of relief just by looking at them. He smiled back at his companion.

“You pick,” he countered.

A couple of minutes later, four Lemon Drops were placed between them, Bakura commenting on the choice of acidic shots, saying he could never stomach their taste. Atem disagreed, he kind of liked the aftertaste that lingered on his tongue after a tentative sip from one of the shots.

“How did you want to do this?” he asked Yugi, lining his two shots in front of him.

The other seemed on the same mindset as him. “How about we just go for it? No fancy shenanigans, just two drinking buddies.”

He needed to dulling, just to sway away the piercing voice nagging at him. Just for tonight. Just for the next hour. He did not care. He did not want to get drunk, he just wanted to drown the voice, erase the face. “Let’s do this, Partner.”

They threw their head back at the same time, knocking the Lemon drop simultaneously.

One.

Pause.

A mischievous glint in Yugi’s eyes made his inside turns. Atem had not gotten tipsy in a long time and he wondered if this was the result of the alcohol or something else. Something that had been digging at him all day today, and in the previous realities.

**I can see why you like him. He’s cute and charming. And look at those eyes. Those big bold beautiful eyes. Exactly your type.**

Two.

Yugi had made a small pyramid with their shots and giggled happily at his masterpiece. He then turned to face Atem and the smile that lit up his face was so bright, so luminous, so him.

**And that smile, oh. I bet he’s won many people over with it.**

Atem cringed. He did not want to look at the golden eyes edging him on, but he could not avoid them from his seated position. His eyes betrayed him by lingering a little too long on the mirror he was trying so hard to avoid.

The words the reflection spoke to him felt like venom seeping into his mind, poisoning his thoughts. He felt hypnotized by the lips spitting them, moving carefully as if to make sure each and every syllable was etched in his brain.

**I bet he’s winning you over too.**

Two new beers were set in front of them, the exact same drink they had with their previous chicken wings. Atem fought against the urge to just chug his beer to drown out the voice. He brought the bottle to his lips, took a longer sip than necessary, but let it swirl around in his mouth as if this would have some sort of calming effect on him.

Each drop of alcohol had the instantaneous effect of muffling the words hushed at him, but they just sounded so much louder right after, like they were thrown at him with much more force than before.

**After all, I did win you over, didn’t I?**

He dropped the bottle back on the counter more forcefully than he had intended, but his hand had started shaking and he could not control the movement as glass collided with the shiny wooden surface. It was noisy enough in the bar for the action to go unnoticed to most patrons, but not to Yugi who was still sitting right next, so close to him.

“Hey…”

A warm hand covered his on top of the bar and for a brief second, he felt like immediately pulling it away, but the eyes that looked at him with worry, were not gold but purple, and he let go of the breath he had been holding.

“Something’s wrong.”

It was not a question, but it felt as heavy as one. Atem could still feel the watchful stare coming from the mirror, and as much as Yugi’s hand seemed to have a somewhat calming effect, right now, he just wanted to escape the haunting presence of the other man in the mirror.

“I just… Be right back. Gotta use the bathroom.”

He thanked the stools for being attached to the floor for he would have surely knocked his seat down with the rapidity he used to get down from it. He pushed the few people separating him from his starting point to his designated hiding place. He reached the bathroom, but there were already a few people in there, and he just wanted to be alone.

Needed to be alone.

He pushed the door to the handicap bathroom and thought himself incredibly lucky that it was currently empty. The lights were already on, casting a subdued glow, almost more like a nightlight than a real efficient light source, on the dark painted walls that were decorated with graffiti and posters. He headed for the sink, set on splashing some cold water on his face, but there was something about his not so carefully crafted escape plan to the bathroom he had not thought of.

The mirror.

The one right over the sink.

**I’m flattered you’d want some privacy with me.**

Atem’s head snapped up immediately and he realised he was not really alone in the bathroom when the other man smiled back at him, that god awful devious smirk of his.

“Get out,” he simply voiced at the man in the mirror.

**And miss all the fun of watching you agonizing like a lost puppy?**

He did not want to do this, did not want to have a conversation with this enemy of his mind. “Why are you here?”

**I just want to talk, and see the prick who could make you forget about me so easily.**

There were so many questions, but he did not want to ask them either. He just wanted the other to be gone, to leave and never come back. “I haven’t thought about you in years.”

**Is that why you’ve been alone all those years then?**

Atem wanted to deny that fact, he did not want to give the other the satisfaction of being right when, in truth, he was. The voice that had been poisoning his mind in the previous reality was dribbling against the limits of his brain, and this time, the soothing words of his mother were not there to erase it. He felt himself cracking like porcelain, his eyes glued to the golden ones in front of him.

**I’m still there.**

**Inside your mind.**

**No one can take my place.**

**Not even him.**

Atem pushed himself away from the sink and grabbed the edges of the mirror, gripping it with such force his knuckles were turning white. He pictured Yugi’s smile just a few minutes ago, the worry that had tainted his eyes, the genuine behaviour he had shown over the past few shifts they had had.

He did not want the man in the mirror to taint that, not when he had worked so hard at trying to open up to his coworker. His friend. “Leave him out of this,” he whispered, trying to keep his voice from trembling.

The reflection chuckled dryly and the smile that appeared was downright corrupted.

**Oh Atem, you always were such a softie. I loved that about you. I still do.**

The man’s reflection touched his own, a hand caressing his cheek possessively. Atem shuddered and his other self in the mirror followed suit. He could feel the asinine touch even if it was not real. He could feel the lips right next to his ear as they requested what they always used to request years before.

**Say my name, handsome.**

“No,” Atem breathed out.

**It’s just a word, just a name.**

“No.” He managed to say it with more confidence this time.

**I know you miss the feel of it on your lips, whispered breathlessly.**

“Shut up!” He took a step back from the sink and the mirror.

**Say my name, handsome.**

“I said no!”

His hand connected with the reflective surface violently, shattering the fragile mirror into a dozen pieces, the sound reverberating against the walls on the small bathroom. The pieces clattered on the floor and it was only when one fell into the sink that he noticed the red liquid now dripping on the white porcelain.

He cradled his injured hand, his bloody knuckles miraculously spared from glass shards and he let his back hit the wall behind him, sliding onto the floor, his breathing uneven. His eyes felt glazed as they focused on the air itself.

The door opened gently, making him noticed he had completely forgotten to lock it in his hurry to find some solace, and a friendly, but anxious face appeared, not setting on him at first.

“Atem, you there?”

He did not really know how the word formed out of his mouth. “Yeah,” he answered from his spot on the floor.

Yugi promptly turned his gaze to the ground and kneeled down in front of him. “What happened?” he asked his voice as gentle as ever.

Before Atem could answer, Yugi noticed the state of the mirror and the tiny darker drops barely visibly in the scarce light and his eyes traveled to the Egyptian’s hand. He thought for sure his companion would start panicking, but even if his eyes filled with alarm, his voice stayed calm and even.

“Don’t move, okay. I’ll be right back.”

And just like that, he was gone again, but Atem believed he would not be gone for long. His eyes shifted to the mirror pieces on the ground, vigilantly expecting the golden eyes to still be there, but he found no trace of them or the man that had been toying with him previously. He sighed in relief and let his head fall back against the cool wall behind him.

Yugi was effectively quick to be back, a first aid kit in his hands. He made sure to lock the door behind him before sitting back down on the floor in front of Atem. He laid the kit next to him and extended a hand towards the Egyptian, asking him wordlessly if he could have a look at his injured knuckles.

The fingers that caught his hand were warm as they treated the wound with care. Yugi made sure that the cuts were void of mirror pieces and disinfected them, pressing softly on them to not cause any unnecessary pain.

Atem looked at Yugi as he worked, half expecting him to talk, but he did not. He just handled his hand silently, but there was not tension in the air, just quiet comfort. “Thank you,” he whispered to his caretaker.

Purple eyes met his and he was surprised to find them almost as clear as his. The alcohol may have still been present in his system, but this whole impromptu encounter with a ghost from his past had sobered him up quite effectively, and his injury seemed to have the same effect on the other too.

Yugi smiled playfully. “Well, it’s the least I can do for the guy who saved me from a scorching desert and a panic attack, no?”

Atem rolled his eyes at the obvious jab. “I would have never left you in that desert, you know that.”

The other struck his tongue at him. “Still, you escaped solitary confinement to come find me. By the way, I still have questions about that and the fact that you pulled that cheap trick right before we shifted!”

The Egyptian laughed lightly, grateful for this light banter and conversation that centered him back into this reality, into this friendly atmosphere that was heartwarming after the icicles that had pierced his thoughts when the venomous voice had taunted him through the mirror. For a second, he briefly wondered why Yugi was so poised about this whole incident, why he had not demanded any explanation yet.

The other was wrapping his knuckles in gauze when he voiced his interrogation aloud. “You haven’t asked why I broke the mirror.”

The paler man was still focused on finishing his job as he shrugged slightly. “I figured you might not want to talk about it.”

Atem’s fingers lightly closed around Yugi’s steading ones on his hand. “Never stopped you from asking before.”

There was a minute pause in the other’s movement before he disengaged their hands. He busied himself at closing the first aid and pushing it away from them. Atem thought about saying something to fill the silence between them, but Yugi’s voice finally resounded again. “I don’t want you to run away again.”

It was as if Atem could sense there was something else there, something that Yugi was not sharing either, and it bothered him. He was the one physically hurt and currently emotionally drained, but he did not want Yugi to run away from him either.

The words came out instinctively. “Why are you so nice?”

Finally, amethyst eyes met his. “I’m nice to everyone, you said it so yourself.”

The storm of emotions in them was brewing and Atem let himself get taken by their current. “But why are you nice to me?”

By now, Yugi’s voice was barely a whisper too. “You’re nice to me too.”

Atem straightened up against the wall, only just shifting so that he closed a bit of the distance between him and the one sitting a few inches in front on him. Their knees brushed as he prompted: “You’re evading the question.”

Yugi’s khol rimmed eyes looked bright even in the dim lighting, and Atem found himself thinking once again how gorgeous the other looked tonight. How gorgeous he had look in previous reality. How gorgeous he looked in their own reality too.

“It’s not because I have to, Atem,” Yugi answered, truth illuminating his eyes.

And it was not just a physical gorgeous, it was something else, something much deeper, and he found himself so tired of fighting with himself about this. His own emotions were a maelstrom of confusion, but he recognised the thread of affection wrapping around him and Yugi, and he tentatively started walking on it like a funambulist.

“Because I want to,” Yugi breathed out.

The purple-haired man did not move as Atem was slowly closing the distance between them, the air hanging heavy and then completely gone as his lips caressed Yugi’s almost experimentally, both of their eyes fluttering close. It barely lasted a second or two before he pulled away, their nose almost still touching.

Purple eyes gazed back into his now opened ones once again. The uncertainty in them made his heart flinch. The dichotomy of wanting to both pull away to give Yugi some room to breathe, but to stay as close to the other as he could overwhelmed him.

Their breaths mingled as amethysts darted ever so slightly to Atem’s lips before closing in the gap between them once again ever so slowly. Cat-like, Yugi shifted to his knees without breaking their genuine kiss and boldly, he climbed somewhat shyly on top of Atem’s lap, annihilating the minimal distance that was left between them.

Atem did not clutch the body on him. He cradled it softly and tenderly, completely at the opposite of the spectrum of emotions he had felt when he had been infused with the persona of Captain Hook back in that Peter Pan reality, back in that tortuous fantasy that had been conjured up in his mind by that weirdly efficient drug.

No, this was a whole other thing.

This was not reeking of lust or sex. This was sensual yes, the way Yugi had just crawled on top of him, almost hesitantly, and was now straddling him, but there was no urgency, no rush. Just the gentlest feeling of lips against lips, brushing and shifting. It was oh so slow and so quiet despite the music pumping in the bar just on the other side of that door shielding them from the rest of the world.

Yes, this was sensual, but not sexual, as his fingers danced across Yugi’s exposed middle, caressing the flesh like an artist discovering the texture of clay under his hands, pressing gently into the skin, leaving behind them a trail of shivery goosebumps as they inched their way under Yugi’s cropped sweater, but barely.

He could have easily given a jerk of hips, bringing their cores closer, but deep down, this is not what he wanted to feel. He wanted to feel the pressure of Yugi’s elbows pressed against his shoulders. He wanted to feel nimble fingers digging delicately into his nape, almost massaging it. He wanted to feel his own bangs dancing across his face as Yugi breathed through his nose careful as to not break their embrace. He wanted to feel those velvety lips on his, just relinquishing in their perfect texture and warmth as they caressed his with affection.

He had not tasted anything else but those lips yet, the pressure between Yugi’s and his being more than enough to calm his troubled soul. The acrid voice was gone, almost as if it had never been there to begin with. The only sound he focused on was the meticulously placed breaths elicited by the both of them as they had yet to do more than just kiss chastely.

And unpremeditatedly, he wanted more. Just a stronger taste of it, even if tiny. Just more.

He tentatively flicked his tongue against Yugi’s bottom lip, just the lightest of brush, again not aggressive or hurried. He was met by a breathless gasp and a whole-body shudder from the man on top of him. Like someone would do to warm another when he was shivering, Atem cradled Yugi closer to him, but in the most well-meaning way, just to keep him grounded to this moment. This moment that suddenly much more than any other moment to Atem.

Yugi’s fingers came under his ears, his thumbs sliding to brush on his cheekbones, and Atem tried to contain a satisfied moan as another tongue timidly came to meet his. But he failed to keep the second one quiet as Yugi opened up his mouth more to invite him in. And he accepted this invitation without any hesitation.

One of Atem’s hands left the creamy skin of Yugi’s back to reach upwards towards his neck, sensing the shiver crawling up the spine he was climbing on. His fingers met the very fine short hairs that had refused to make it into Yugi’s current hairdo, and he let them play against them as he pressed a little more into the skin, barely changing the angle of the other’s head to deepen their kiss.

He swallowed the most melodious series of moans he had ever heard in his life as he explored Yugi’s mouth slowly, trying to catch every little spark of flavour he could get his tongue on. There was the bitter taste of the beer the purple-haired man had been nursing when he had left the bar earlier. There was the acidic flash of the lemon drops they had down together in fast fashion when they had dared each other to. There was the greasy salty taste of the chicken wings they had shared blissfully.

And finally, there was that sweetness, that very distinct, comforting and definitely addictive taste Atem would forever associate with Yugi from this day forth. He made sure to commit it to memory as Yugi’s tongue met his during his probing and danced along his own mouth too.

Yugi’s hands left his face and explored the skin of his neck and arms, tracing patterns on them with nimble fingers and he felt sparks from every single one of those fingertips electrifying his skin as they passed along. He let out a long and louder moan and he finally disconnected their lips, a trail of saliva still linking them before breaking when he shifted his head to attack a new target on Yugi’s body.

In the brief moment he blinked, he felt something was different in the room, like if the lighting had changed a bit, but he could not focus on anything other then the real and willing partner on his lap. He carefully placed a tender kiss right below his ear and he felt encouraged by a breathless huff to line the jaw with even more gentle kisses before descending upon the creamy expanse of Yugi’s neck. The man of top of him reacted by clutching as his hooded vest, fists grabbing at the textile to steady the tremors shaking the body attached to them.

His mind was focused on the task at hand, but in the back, there was a nagging voice asking him if this was right. And he could only think about the fact that he did not know if it was, but that at least this time, it was real. And he needed real. But more than that. He wanted this real.

The salty taste of sweat from their previous activity had gathered there, but it felt tangy against Atem’s tongue as he gave a flick of tongue right on the pressure point of Yugi’s neck before delicately nibbling on it. The delicious sound that came out of Yugi’s mouth was so symphonic Atem just wanted to hear it over and over again. But what came out next was even better.

Yugi’s lips parted to pant out his name earnestly. “Atem…”

And before he knew it, he was blinded by a light coming from in between them. He barely had time to register what was happening that the world black out around him and he felt the shift happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yup, I'm evil like that.  
> Sorry, not sorry I guess?
> 
> Tiny heads up, I'm working on a Christmas Project too, blame my partner in crime Pants for it (although I'm much more to blame I think!). Don't worry, I absolutely have no intention of leaving this fic unfinished, it is already planned up to the end and I cannot wait to share all their wonderful adventures with you! It might just take longer than I anticipated at the beginning (are you surprised? Because I should not be anymore hahaha!)
> 
> See you soon, lovely readers!


	15. Nauseous

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 14 - Vampires
> 
> Oh hey there, very long time no see!
> 
> I will start to say by how sorry I am for the wait! As you noticed if you've seen my other works, I was taken by a neat collab with my partner-in-crime, but fear not, we have both decide to focus on our own personal projects for a while so this fic should get updated faster in the next few weeks. It took me a while to dive back into the right vibe, but I'm not letting it go!
> 
> Back to our favourite puzzleboys and their channel surfing!
> 
> Enjoy!

**Vampires – Twilight**

Atem opened up his eyes promptly.

Gone was the darkened bar bathroom.

Gone was the subdued pounding music from the other side of the door.

Gone was his rock band outfit.

Gone was Yugi.

He stood up abruptly from his sitting position on the couch he was currently finding himself on. He patted himself, his eyes falling on the fresh injury on his hand, still bandaged. He was dressed casually in a pair of jeans and a simple shirt, bracelets on his wrists, barefoot. But he could not care less about any of that.

He searched his surroundings almost frantically. He was in a house, and strangely, everything around him seemed greyish, like if bright colours had been taken away from everything. The area was modern, filled with large windows almost from floor to ceiling. However, it also almost seemed impersonal, as if the people residing here were not that attached to that house at all.

He wanted to shout, to call for Yugi, but he was also afraid of doing so. He had learned over the course of those shifts that learning about the environment before hand was always the best idea, especially if he found himself alone like right now. But he could not shake the need to find his traveling companion as fast as he could.

His traveling companion.

The one he had just kissed.

Not an accidental kiss.

Not simply a spur of the moment kiss.

Not just a simple brush-of-lips kiss.

Damn, if that had not been one of the best kisses of his life.

And damn if he did not want to do it again as soon as he saw Yugi again.

They would need to talk about it. They would need to explain exactly what had happened between. They would need to… open up. Atem gulped suddenly at the implications of what had transpired in that bathroom, and it felt both exhilarating and heavy at the same time. He had wanted to kiss Yugi, to close the distance between them. This has not been induced by anything, not even by the average amount of alcohol he had drank. This had been only him taking this split-second decision and Yugi diving in with him, and heck if he knew what it meant to the other, but also to him really.

_“Atem…”_

_“Atem…”_

_“Atem…”_

That whisper kept playing on his mind like the sweetest but most torturous song ever. The way Yugi had let go of his name with such emotion elicited a powerful shiver that shook him. He had never thought that hearing his name spoken like that could ever happen, or that it would have such a powerful effect on him.

_Stop!_

He needed to focus, find out where he was and find Yugi. Like yesterday.

He heard the sound of footsteps coming from the opened mezzanine above him and braced himself to face whoever was up there.

“Atem?” he heard a voice call out to him.

He felt his insides twisting. He knew that voice, and it was so strange to react so suddenly and strongly to a voice that had actually never provoked such a reaction in him. He could not even begin to comprehend why it was happening to him, and he barely had time to comprehend anything before the owner of said voice started coming down the stairs. However, mid-descent, the young man lost his footing and tumbled down the remaining stairs.

Instinctively, even more strongly than in his usual state, he moved towards the other. And he did so in such lightning speed that he almost lost his own balance. He was kneeling right next to him in not even a second, immediately wrapping a protective arm around him and brushing bangs out of his eyes.

_What the hell?_

“Are you okay?” he inquired, his voice laced with affection for the man in front of him, something he did not seem to be able to control, something he promptly associated with his persona surely.

Warm hazelnut eyes stared back at him. “Gotta work on that clumsiness or you’ll die of worry.”

Atem helped Jou up, and the blonde wrapped his arms around him slowly before resting his chin on his head. “You know, I was wondering where you were. I thought you’d be next to me when I woke up.”

Atem wanted to feel completely uncomfortable in the embrace, but the way his persona was pushing against him was so strong in this reality, just like when Captain Hook had been hard to control back in Peter Pan. And this persona was very attached to Jou, he could feel that. He could sense the overwhelming protectiveness he felt towards his friend, which was probably more than a friend here if their really long and affectionate hug was any indication.

He returned the hug, trying to channel the persona as best as he could without getting lost in it. For a second, he could pretend it was not Jou he was actually embracing, but Yugi and he used this emotion to convey some sort of affection for the blonde in his arms.

“Yeah, my mind was awake, I could not sleep,” he said, using a casual excuse to explain himself.

He felt the gentle chuckle in Jou’s voice as it rumbled into their embrace. “Did you just make a joke?”

Atem tried to understand how his reply could have been perceived as such, but nothing came to his mind. His persona was currently much too focused on the content it felt for feeling the blonde against him, than actually helping him out here. “Maybe?” he simply replied.

Jou dropped a kiss into his hair, and he was suddenly very glad that he was shorter and able to hide his surprise at the action. If the blonde was doing it so casually, it meant it was not the first time and he had to roll with it somehow.

He tried to not look like a deer caught in the headlights as hazelnut eyes met his and warm hands came to cradle his face. Jou’s smile was filled with heartwarming affection and it felt so very far away from what his friend usually emitted back in their reality. Not that Jou was cold or anything, but soft and sweet? More like brash and comical.

“Because you don’t sleep and I know that by now,” Jou answered. “You tried to pretend a few times for my sake, but I know you don’t.”

“Well, you can’t say I haven’t tried for you.”

 _Oh heck, where is this cheesiness coming from?!_ He really had tried to stop the words from leaving his lips but the persona had decided to push them out against his will.

Jou leaned in and for a second, he fought against the persona. There was no way in hell he was going to let himself be kissed by his coworker, one he felt absolutely no attraction towards, although the character he seemed to be playing did not seem to feel the same as him at all. He let go of the breath he had been holding when the other just simply nuzzled his nose against his in the cutest gesture. “You would try anything for me, don’t tell me otherwise.”

And suddenly, the proximity between them brought another perspective. Atem felt his senses dive into overdrive, especially his smell. He could feel the warmth of Jou pressed against him, he could hear his heartbeat quite loud even, louder than he had ever imagined possible, but what really drove him up the edge was an overpowering sweetness assaulting his nose. It was a mix of freshly washed linen hung outside to dry, with an underlying scent of firewood and just the tiniest hint of honey.

It was addictive and driving him wild.

And it was coming right from the man holding him and it seemed to pulse, just like the blood from the mouth-watering veins from his neck.

_Wait, what?!_

He gulped.

His eyes shifted lightly back to his own self, taking in the lighter aspect of his usually bronze skin now somehow dulled. A quick subtle flick on tongue against his teeth revealed them to be slightly sharper than usual, but nothing else. As he caught his reflection in the window right behind Jou, he caught a glimpse of his eyes, usually a deep crimson, now somewhat shining eerily.

Jou’s voice seemed to have such a soothing effect on him that it made him dizzy. “Atem? Something wrong?”

“No, I just… I need a moment… You smell really good right now.”

Had he really said that aloud? Had he really just told Jou he smell too good? What was wrong with him? This was worse than the last few realities he had been and he briefly, but strongly wondered if Yugi was somewhere, as affected by this as he was.

Jou finally let go of him and took a step back to give him some room, but he stayed just within reach as if they were both magnets drawn to each other nonetheless. “Oh geez, sorry! I forget sometimes, and I know this can be tough for you!”

Right then, he was hit by another feeling he was quite unfamiliar with: a wave of strong emotions coming from Jou, a mix of guilt and affection, and thoughts invaded his mind. Thoughts that were not his own. Thoughts that belonged surely to the blonde in front of him.

‘I’m so sorry, I know this is difficult, and I’m weak because I want to hold you and kiss you all the time, and be near you, and I can’t help it, and I don’t like being apart, but I know I should give you some space sometimes. I know you won’t hurt me, but I know you think that you might, that you will inevitably, and I wish you would just stop thinking like that because I lo-‘

No…

No.

_NO._

Atem glanced out the large windows and immediately wanted to run out there, to run away from the overwhelming attacks on all his senses and his mind, and straight into those endless woods beyond, where he might be able to get his bearings together again. Where he might be able to catch the break he needed very much right now. “Will you excuse me? I’ll be right back.”

Jou almost shyly pushed a few longer bangs behind his ear. “And I’ll be right here.”

Atem knew he could not just leave the other hanging like that, he knew he had to play his part just like he did in all those realities before, if he ever wanted to find the puzzle piece Yugi and him needed to shift. It was the only reason he allowed himself a minute moment of reprieve as he reached for Jou’s hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. His persona wanted to tip toe and give a peck on those lips, but he managed to restrain it and just peck his cheek instead, still a bold move all things considered, he thought.

Then he was out the door and running freely and faster than ever into those luscious woods beyond. The freshness of the outside air felt like pure oxygen to his system. The more he got away from this glass walled house, the more he felt like himself and the persona let go of his iron grip on him. He finally reached a clearing where his feet stop, not even tired. He took in a few deep breaths, but they did not seem to reach his lungs. He started pieces everything together and dread filled him.

He knew this movie.

Mana had sat him down one evening to force him to watch it, and he remember groaning all along and being jealous of the fact that Mahad had been able to avoid this movie marathon she was putting him through. They had actually watched three of those movies before he told Mana he could not bear to watch another one.

Mana had not seem to like them all that much, but she was going through a supernatural phase where she would watch every movie and tv shows with creatures of the night and such. But this had to be the worst portrayal of vampires he had even witness… and he had never wanted to witness ever again.

Yet, here he was, trapped.

As if fate needed to play one more cruel trick on him, a solitary ray of sunshine hit his skin and it started to sparkle like diamonds. He did not know if the sound that escaped his mouth was more like a groan or a whine at this point. He held on to the nearest tree and repeatedly let his head fall against the bark, as if this could somehow help him accept his condition.

He wanted to crawl into a hole, hide away in the largest hoodie possible, forget everything about this reality right now.

For he was now the worst personification of a vampire ever invented and deeply in love with one of his coworker.

And this god awful persona was fighting him tooth and nails to gain control which he would not relinquish if it meant losing himself even for a moment in this hellish reality.

***

It took him a few moments to get his non-breathing back into check. The quietness and stillness of the forest all around did wonders to calm his alit nerves. It also gave him time to try to make some sense of the last things he remember before the switch.

With some distance from everything happening here, he could put the pieces together slowly. He had been haunted by one of the worst people from his past, and Yugi had once again come to his rescue in a time of need. It seemed to be something they both did often in this twisted adventure, and at first, he had found it maybe annoying…

No. He had to stop lying to himself.

He had not found it annoying. Troublesome surely, to save someone who he had avoided his whole career at Kaiba Corp, but not annoying. The more they had been put in these life-threatening situations, the more he discovered little things about Yugi, little things that had made him rethink his opinion of the man completely.

Yugi was an enigma still, a mystery.

Yugi was a cheerful and positive individual, one that would fight fiercely for what he believed in and for the people he cared about. One that would find the good side in any situation and make the most out of it.

But Yugi was also this vulnerable fragile creature underneath, from the tiniest cracks he had ever showcased in some cases. From the anger he had seen in the Big Hero 6 reality to the sadness that seemed to appear from time to time in those large pools of amethyst that Atem had come to understand spoke probably louder than most of Yugi’s words.

He wanted to look into those cracks, to understand the man behind the mystery, the man that he… may just have feelings for. Feelings beyond friendship. Feelings that he had not allowed himself to feel in such a long time. Feelings that someone had tainted and ruined for him… but feelings that were blooming like the softest crocus flowers in the spring.

Oh God, he needed to find Yugi right now.

He got up quickly from his spot in the shadows of a large pine and swiveled around when he heard another sound coming from his left.

“Well, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?”

And just like if he had wished him into existence, Yugi was standing there, leaning against a tree, his arms crossed against his chest, a smirk on his lips.

A smirk that Atem just wanted to kiss right off his face.

And he would have probably done so if a stench so strong had not assaulted his nose the second he stepped into the other man’s direction. His persona also suddenly manifested again and, even though he knew the man in front of him represented absolutely no danger, all his senses spiked into alertness and a strong negative emotion filled him: jealousy and dislike mixed into a poisonous combo.

It seemed faith had many cruel ways to pull them apart and pit them against each other…

“I would say the same thing about you, but you-“ he slapped a hand on his mouth as he almost spat words he would regret had they ever left his mouth.

Yugi frowned, but nodded understandingly. “I see the persona is also affecting you strongly, kind of relieved we’re both living the same hell right now…”

The purple-eyed man took a step forward, but Atem held a hand defensively. “I think it’s better if you stay there, give us a bit of time to adjust and not jump at each other’s throat…”

So much for wanting to find Yugi…

“Good thinking,” Yugi agreed, almost somberly.

Atem sat back down against his tree, while Yugi did the same, the distance between them both a salvation and torture at the same time. The duality of both his persona and his own person were fighting an ongoing war inside him right now, and it was driving him up the wall. Yugi had mentioned he was feeling it, so he was probably facing something similar. It was just awful thinking how close they had become in the last few shifts for now to be this… repulsed by one another.

Atem sighed and the words were out of his mouth before he could stop them this time, although they were more comical than hurtful. “You smell like wet dog.”

Yugi smiled, amused. “You smell like rotten meat,” he retaliated.

Atem needed to look away to be able to control his basic instincts in this reality. He laid his head against the bark, feeling the nature around him ground him, and he breathed out his next words, more to himself than anything. They held reassurance at finding his partner, although everything about him was currently grating his persona’s nerves. “You’re okay,” he breathed out.

He should have known Yugi’s more sensitive hearing would pick the words up. The newly werewolf blood in his veins had made sure of it. “Of course, why wouldn’t I be?” he asked so genuinely that Atem wondered if Yugi knew what he was talking about.

He had trouble finding the right words to convey his emotions, just like the wreck of a teenager he was in this reality. “I don’t know, I mean, I’m not sure, just-“

Yugi’s clear laugh filled the air. “I did drink more than I usually do, I feel lucky I did not wake up with anything close to hangover! Maybe the regenerating wolf blood helped.”

Atem managed to get his eyes down to meet Yugi and dread started pooling inside his heart. “What do you mean?” he replied hesitantly.

Yugi smiled at him as if it was the most natural thing in the world. “I mean, last night, well the night we had before shifting, was pretty nice. I hadn’t had Lemon Drops since college I think.”

His stomach dropped like the Lemons Drops had down his throat last night.

He wanted to ask him.

To ask him if he remembered.

The tension.

His injury.

The kiss.

But the way Yugi was just looking at him with his ever bright purple eyes without any hesitation or question in them just sent a freezing chill down his spine, not like the ones he had felt last night. Was it another one of those cheap tricks these reality shifts were pulling on him? Did Yugi simply not remember what had transpired between them…

Or had it simply not happened at all?

He wanted simultaneously to scream, break something and curse at these universes forced upon them.

“Atem?”

The soft tone in his traveling companion voice almost broke his defenses, but he could not let them crumble. Not when he did not even know what was real and what was just a figment of his imagination yet. Not when he had worked this hard to open up to Yugi and fought against himself to get closer inch by inch to the person he had not so long been unable to stand in the same room as.

He gulped. Yugi had been getting under his skin for years now, and it hurt to even think that they could revert to that sort of relationship if he mentioned what he thought had happened between them, especially if it had not. Except for the light cuts on his knuckles, he had no proof of anything really.

But it was so hard to believe that the taste of Yugi’s lips, the feels on his fingers, the sounds of his gentle moans and the way he had whispered his name was all… nothing.

He needed air. Well not really, but he needed space.

Hell if he was not the typical image of a confused teenage vampire now?!

He caught a break from something totally unexpected. Thoughts, as clear as if they were his own, invading his mind.

‘Brother, we need to talk.’

His persona reacted faster than him, making him stand up faster than ever. Yugi reacted exactly the same, his muscles tensed as if expecting something to happen. He glanced all around them, but nothing rustled around but the leaves brushed by the wind.

“Something wrong?” Yugi asked

Atem cleared his throat. “My… sister needs me. I have to go.”

The other man dropped his guard and a hint of something flickered in his gaze, but it was so fast that Atem thought he may have imagined it. “So that’s it? We just go back to our role until one of us finds the puzzle piece?” the werewolf inquired.

The vampire knew this sounded like a wrong idea; they were stronger together in these realities, and he had realised that, but everything seemed to be off here. Everything felt wrong and confusing and-

_Damn it, get a grip, you moody annoying persona!_

But he also knew this was for the best if they wanted to survive each other when all they wanted to do was tear each other apart here. “Yugi, right now, I find it difficult to even stand that close to you. This persona keeps wanting to put his fist right across that chiseled jaw of yours, and it is honestly really hard to keep under control.”

Yugi snorted dramatically, but after shaking his head, he nodded, clearly displaying the same inner struggle with his persona. “Well, rest assured, I kind of want to do the same thing. And I keep thinking about Jou in a way no best friends should ever think about each other, and-“

A spike of something very dangerous rose abruptly inside Atem. “Please don’t talk about Jou,” he cut Yugi instantly.

Yugi seemed taken aback for a second before things clicked into place. “Oh so you-“

Atem cut him off again, closing his eyes in the face of the aggressiveness building up inside him. “Kind of want to punch you even harder now? Yes.” He pinched the bridge of his nose and cringed. “God, this is so weird!”

Yugi passed a hand to his unruly spikes. “You mean the both of us having intense feelings for one of our mutual friends? It definitely is and…” His eyes suddenly lit up with an unnatural feral glow. “Oh, there it is. I want to rip your throat to shreds too, now.”

Atem could feel his muscles tense up, getting ready for a fight he certainly was not willing to partake in. “I think you should go,” he hissed at his traveling companion, needing him gone so he did not end up doing something they would both regret.

Yugi took careful steps back, building more distance between him and the vampire. “I think that’s a great idea,” he growled in agreement.

The vampire managed to push the persona back just enough to get his own emotion across, hoping the werewolf would catch the glimpse of him behind the monster. “Just-“ he started.

Just as he had, Yugi managed to get a fragment of his own self through, a soft smile appearing on his lips even if for barely a short second. “Yeah, I know. I won’t go too far.”

And just like that, he was gone in a flash of flesh then fur, running away freely in the woods, taking away with him the strong distasteful odour he emanated to Atem, and the tension that had build up between them. Atem felt his heart unclench and the persona inside him giving him back more control as he found himself alone in the forest once again.

Quickly, he was reminded of his unknown sister’s call and he focused on clearing his thoughts, trying to send her a response somehow as he made his way back to the glasshouse he had ran away from not even an hour ago.

***

If he had ever had the idea of even imagining what a made-up vampire family consisting of people he knew would look like, he certainly would not have envisioned this particular group to form it.

When he had made it back to the house, Jou was seated on the couch next to Ishizu who he had last seen as an Arabian princess. She was holding Jou’s hand and reassuring him in quiet whispers. On the armrest of the couch was sitting Mai, a possessive hand on Ishizu’s shoulder and a much more loving gaze across her eyes than she had displayed back in the desert prison he had had the displeasure of meeting one of her incarnations.

Both looked up as soon as he entered the house, and Jou instantly stood up to go to him. He seemed hesitant at first, but Atem opened up his arm instinctively and the blonde settled against him with a relieved sigh. He would not admit it, but it felt good to feel this intense vibe of affection coming from the other, especially since his emotions had spiked up negatively in Yugi’s presence. His insides, however, twisted a bit at the thought again.

“Feel better now?” Jou whispered against his air.

And much to his chagrin, he really did. “Much better.”

He heard and felt the sigh of relief from Jou. “Good, because I don’t like being away from you.”

Atem was all too glad to let the persona take over for the moment, enjoying the back seat while he could. “I don’t being away from you too.”

_I don’t like being away from Yugi._

He held tighter onto Jou as he grounded himself into the feeling on the hug he shared with the other, wishing it were someone else entirely, but knowing it was impossible at the moment. Impossible in this reality, and maybe even impossible in any other reality.

“Okay, lovebirds, how about you peel each other off and we listen to was Sis has to say?” a strong and assured voice called from behind him.

He let go of Jou reluctantly, his persona grabbing the blonde’s hand to keep a physical contact between them. His gaze fell upon two other people entering the room and his eyes almost budged at their own intertwined hands.

Otogi looked absolutely stunning, almost glowing with his hair perfectly coiffed into a high ponytail and his perfectly tailored clothes, the picture of elegance and charisma. Mind you, he did look that way in their own reality, but here, it was like he could not take his eyes away from him for a second longer, like he was entranced by him, and it felt extremely weird. Honda who looked every part a high school jock held his hand strongly. A varsity jacket was even draped on his broad shoulders, a smirk also painting his lips as he looked at Atem and Jou.

“Does he have to be here? I still don’t understand your infatuation with a human, brother dearest…” Otogi spoke up, a clear look of disdain on his face as he eyed Jou from head to toe.

“I’m not going anywhere-“

“He’s not going anywhere-“ Atem replied at the same moment Jou voiced his opinion.

“Why everybody else tolerates this is beyond my comprehension…” Otogi replied before settling down on one of the many couches in the living room, a sour look still painting his face. Honda sat next his, a possessive arm around his shoulder, dropping a kiss on his temple.

“Jounouchi should be here. After all, this is about him,” Ishizu finally spoke solemnly.

“What do you mean?” Atem asked, his hand tightening around Jou’s.

“What she means is that someone is coming for him, someone very angry, and she’s bringing an army of ruthless and hungry newborn vampires with her…” Mai supplied, her dead serious eyes setting on the couple still standing up.

Atem’s persona supplied an answer before he could even ask himself who Mai was talking about. “You mean Cecelia?” And although he had absolutely no idea who that person was, the image of an angry blonde vampire lashing out at him appeared in his mind.

Otogi’s voice replied, filled with venom. “She wants retaliation for what happened to Pegasus. For what _Jou_ did to Pegasus.”

Atem felt his nerves tense up, but a soft shroud of reassurance came over him before he had half a mind to jump at his brother in this dimension. He glanced towards Mai, still seated on the armrest, and swore he could feel the wave of calm emanating from her directly.

Ishizu’s soft and warm voice sounded across the room. “Mai has been around newborn vampires, she knows how they fight with a mix unpredictability and unrestrained strength. She’s willing to train us before they get here…”

Honda leaned forward, the tension across his shoulder visible. “How long does that give us?” he inquired.

Mai’s tone left no room for doubt. “Three days.”

Everyone in the room seemed to panic at the news. Everyone but Ishizu and Mai who had probably talked about it before everyone else arrived. There was not way to doubt this information; Ishizu had seen it or they would not be having this conversation. Her visions did not lie, just like the character she was linked to.

“How do you expect the 4 of us to handle a clan of newborns on our own?!” Honda exclaimed, his hand latching onto Otogi’s defensively. Otogi whose face remained cold and emotionless.

Ishizu opened her mouth to speak, but her thoughts permutated through Atem’s mind well before she had time to form her words. “Well…”

The image of a pack of werewolves in their wolf form appeared, and from the slight purple tint on one of them, he knew exactly what his sister was thinking. Atem himself thought the idea to be brilliant, but his persona instantly hated it.

“No,” he cut her off.

His sister reached out a hand to him in peace. “Atem, wait, hear me out first.”

His mind was having the battle of the decade right now. One part of him wanted Yugi to be involved so they could be closer in this reality, not apart like faith had decided they should be. The other part, one that was really was not him at all, wanted nothing to do with the wolf, especially if it meant he would spend some time in the same vicinity as Jou. Atem groaned in frustration, wanting to split his head in half.

Jou wrapped an arm around his waist, probably hoping his touch would calm him, which unsurprisingly it did. “What is she thinking?” he asked almost quietly.

Atem found he could not keep his mouth when it came to telling the blonde the truth. “She wants to bring the wolves into this,” he let out with a pained sigh.

_Jesus Christ, must everything this persona do be overly dramatic?!_

Otogi finally showed some emotion as he stood up from the couch. “Are you mad? They will never help us!” he waved off briskly.

Mai was the one to answer, her voice as leveled as always. “They will if they know vampires are about to invade their territory and wreak havoc.”

Honda nodded, seeing the clear reasoning in the argument and the good idea behind such a plan. Werewolves were strong against vampires, there was not doubt in that. They would need all the strength they could if they had to battle against a whole horde of chaotic bloodsuckers. This almost made Atem wish he had ended up in the first movie of the franchise instead of one with more action… but he was not sure he could have taken the more intense brooding from that particular movie at all.

“Beside, that little lap dog will want in on the action since Jou is involved,” Honda added.

Ishizu cringed at the insult, knowing it would trigger Atem as her surface thoughts told him. This reading thoughts thing was both a blessing and a curse, and he did not know if he liked it honestly. “Honda, I don’t think-“ Ishizu started, but was cut off by Jou.

“I’ll relay the message,” the blonde offered. He turned around and made sure his eyes met Atem’s. “Just tell me a time and place you want to meet and I’ll come with the pack.”

Atem felt the persona wrap all around him like vines. “Jou...” He felt his heart clench at the thought of what the other was proposing. No. Not his heart. His persona’s.

Jou placed two warm palms on his cheeks, and he felt utterly vulnerable. He had been feeling more and more vulnerable, but here, being reassured by his friend, tossed into the body of a lovesick vampire who could not tolerate the presence of the only person he really wanted to be with right now, it was worse then before.

Although vulnerability was heavy, he actually let himself be calmed by the blonde who was offering free affection that he hung to like to air at the moment. He could indulge into the softness of the moment for a few seconds, give himself the right to feel needed and wanted while he had felt anything but that when he had come across Yugi.

“Nothing will happen to me. Yugi won’t hurt me, you know this,” Jou said as he laid a gentle kiss on his forehead.

Atem let the persona speak because it was all he felt like doing at the moment. “It does not mean I have to like it,” he whispered back.

He felt the heat of Jou’s forehead against his as their nose brush, and Atem closed his eyes, imagining for a brief second that he was having this exchange with Yugi, this soft moment just between the two of them. Just like what he thought had happened in the club bathroom. And Jou’s thoughts filled with affection, but also a tint of hesitation about things he knew from watching the movies with Mana before, washed over him like a soothing wave.

“I know, but you have to trust me.”

He knew he would. Just like he knew he would have to trust Yugi too, just like he had learned to do over the past shifts.

Because without trust, he could not think he would be able to survive yet another horrible mind trick played on him like the one that last shift had blatantly done. Turning such a powerful and beautifully intimate moment between Yugi and him… to nothing once again.

***

To his credit, Jou was not gone for very long. Atem received a phone call about half an hour after he had left the house, telling him about a location the werewolves had agreed to meet and talk about the upcoming enemy lurking in the dark. He had relayed the message to the rest of his vampire family and they had gotten a move on quickly.

If he had felt weird meeting his makeshift family in this reality, it was even weirder to see Yugi and his pack, all in their human form. There were only three of them, protectively surrounding Jou as if any of the present vampire would ever harm him, but he still felt really small suddenly facing the two other men flanked by Yugi’s side, towers of raw muscles without a shirt on, like two well sculpted exhibitionists.

I mean, nothing brightened your day like seeing your boss, arms crossed against his exposed chest and looking at you with the most distrustful expression. Kaiba was clearly the pack leader, no doubt about that from his posture, and his second in command, Raphael, stood next to him, also shirtless like some swimsuit supermodel. Atem did not know if the whole picture was ridiculous or intimidating. Yet, he was thankful that Yugi still had the zipped hoodie he was wearing earlier on; he did not think he could take seeing his traveling partner shirtless right now.

His persona reacted violently at the proximity between Jou and Yugi, clearly triggered by jealously he knew was well-placed. And the thoughts he could hear from Jou did not help calm him down, the conflict inside the blonde’s mind palpable. However, there was something underneath, something very much Atem. He realised that he also harboured a form of jealousy right now and then, seeing Jou being close to Yugi while he could not. The dichotomy of feelings in him was so strong it felt like his head was being split apart.

Ishizu had started talking with Seto, the only werewolf actually talking for his pack. Atem could not follow the conversation at all, his eyes glued to the two shorter people separated from him. The weight of the situation was so heavy he somehow felt like he would faint if he did not do something about it quickly.

That’s when his eyes landed on two things that both brought forth a feeling a relief and one of pure dread. Yugi’s hand had found Jou’s, holding on to it softly, making his persona roar and his own insides twist at the sight. He wanted to be the one to hold Yugi’s hand, wanted to be the recipient of the gentle affection he could feel through Jou’s thoughts. He cursed the fact that he could not even feel or hear anything coming from the short werewolf. In the real movie, he would have been able to, but here, adding to his anguish, he could actually get inside Jou’s head instead of the werewolf’s.

But he felt his heart unclenched as he noticed something familiar hanging from a charm bracelet on Jou’s wrist, smaller than some other ones they had come across, but that was beyond the point. The puzzle piece was there, a fine thread of hope to his escape from this hell.

And maybe, just maybe, when they did not feel like ripping each other’s throat, Yugi and him could sit and… he did not know what he was hoping for, but at this point, he would take sitting next to the other in silence, and that would probably be enough.

He felt a hand on his shoulder. “Atem?” Mai’s voice broke through his shattered thoughts.

He let his persona take over, Mai’s open mind giving him the details of the conversation he had been completely unable to follow. The pack had agreed to help, but Jou would have to stay with them for now since their scent would mask his presence and protect him from the arrival of Cecelia and her army of newborns. He could feel his persona hating the idea, dreading being away from Jou even for a minute more, wanting to be the one to protect Jou and not leave that responsibility to Yugi and his pack mates.

Kaiba took a calculated step towards the vampire family. “He’s better off with us and you know it.”

Rafael’s voice echoed through the woods for the first time since the meeting started. Kaiba had been the one talking for his whole pack, even Yugi keeping silent next to Jou. “Cecelia will not risk getting herself straight into werewolf territory, as vengeful as she feels. She will try to draw Jou out for sure.” He then nudge his head towards Atem. “She will come for him first.”

At the comment, Jou immediately reacted. His hand unlatched from Yugi’s as if he had noticed only now they had been linked and tried to step away from the werewolf pack. “Guys, as much as I appreciate you all taking such radical decisions without my input, I don’t agree.” His eyes searched for Atem’s as he made his way towards him, like a magnet being pulled towards another. “I will not let Atem put himself in harm’s way for me!”

It was strange how the air around Atem seemed to lighten the closer to him Jou got, but he was halted by a hand on his forearm, keeping him close to the wolves. “Jou, we’re doing this for you!” Yugi pleaded, having separated from the rest of the pack to catch up with the blonde.

Jou’s head whipped back, and gone was the previous affection from his stare and thoughts. “Yugi, let go of me.”

Atem felt his whole skin prickled in defense and, before he even knew it, he was by Jou’s side, tapping away Yugi’s hand from him. This was the closest he had gotten to the other one in this reality and his persona was so overwhelming at the moment that he could not even hang on to the thread of the relationship they had developed over the past few weeks.

He placed himself between Jou and Yugi, a protective firm hand finding Jou’s, fingers interlacing automatically like they both had been waiting much too long to be reconnected. “I suggest you listen to him, or I swear to God, those claws of yours will be no match for my fury,” he snarled at the purple haired man.

Yugi growled back at him, his wolf blood clearly boiling. “What are you going to do, hiss at me and read my thoughts? Big deal!”

Strangely, both the other vampires and wolves had not even reacted to the proximity between one of each of their own, probably expecting some kind of squabble between the two of them fighting for the affection on the same human. It was somewhat utterly stupid, and Atem had never understood it, more like whine about it, as he had watched the movies with Mana. But this visceral reaction he was feeling right now was anything but stupid. It was real and dangerous and something he had never experienced before. “I will snap your neck faster than you can even think about shifting,” he hissed through his teeth, his eyes hard garnets to match the tension in the amethyst ones before him.

“Wanna bet?” Yugi replied just before… something happened.

The palm of the werewolf’s hand connected with Atem’s cold chest as he pushed him insultingly and the warmth that immediately spread through him was more real than the anger that had overtaken him a second ago. It sent shivers down his spine and he was instantaneously reminded of Yugi’s soft fingers against his arms last night as they had shared a moment. That single touch, that second to none physical connection between them made something snap within him and he was looking back at Yugi again, not at the werewolf that was his rival here… but at the Yugi he knew and cared for.

Yugi’s eyes flickered for a second and he pulled his hand back to him as if he had touched fire. The rage in them was gone too. Everything else around them came crashing down as if they had momentarily been secluded into a bubble of stillness and the world had just started up again.

“Both of you, stop!” Jou yelled, coming right in between the two of them with his arms extended, creating distance by pushing them apart. “Stop acting like this is some fucking testosterone contest between your stupid asses! All of us are putting our lives at risk here, your pack mates and your family, and you’re acting like shitty children fighting over a toy.”

His hazelnut eyes found Atem’s and in them was sadness and hesitation, but Atem felt the fondness emanating from Jou’s mind. “I’m not a toy!” he finished, his words harsher than the emotion they held.

Atem may have still been mesmerized by the blonde’s presence lightly, but Yugi’s voice anchored him to the here and now. “Jou, I did not mean-“ he heard him say.

But Jou was having none of the other’s regret. “Atem, take me home.”

Yugi’s face fell and Atem briefly wondered if it was his persona that was still in control, or if he was also back at the forefront and if seeing his best friend shun him away like that was as hurtful as it seemed. “But-“

Jou did not even spare him a glance, his hand grabbing Atem’s again. “Now!”

Atem barely had the time to catch one last glimpse of Yugi’s eyes before he was pulled away by Jou, and just by the light in them, he knew he had felt something too. Suddenly, Yugi did not smell that much like a wet dog anymore, and he did not want to jump him as much, and Jou’s hand in his did not feel as warm as it had all day long. The persona was stepping down and giving him room to breathe.

Just as Yugi and him were being separated again.

***

After dropping Jou home and getting an eyeful from his father, a man he had never seen before, he sped down the highway and followed the signs that would take him away from all this. He needed space, large opened space, not somewhere amongst the trees, just anywhere he could feel like he could think and breathe again. He drove until he spotted the signs for numerous beaches along the ocean.

He made it to the ocean side and walked along the rocky beach until he was far away from the road and alone again in this grey reality. He bent down to pick a pebble and watched it as it skipped on the water after he threw it. As he heard the ripples and sinking sound it made, something clicked inside him.

On this grey day, standing on this grey beach, his skin ashen by his stupid condition making him also look greyish… he felt anything but grey.

He felt red as deep hot anger rose into his throat like bile wanting to escape his system.

And he vomited his feeling into the loudest and most anguish-filled scream he could muster. It filled the air, colouring it with wisps of crimson and scarlet as, for the first time since this journey started, he finally let out all the frustration he had been holding in about his and Yugi’s predicament. Then, the words came tumbling down like a sudden downpour.

“So what huh? Is this your idea of funny?” he yelled at his surroundings, not even knowing who to blame or talk to as he voiced his issue. “Because I don’t get this! I don’t get any on this! I mean, first you throw me and him into this infinite loop of channel surfing and then, just as we’re finally getting to know each other, you keep throwing curveballs our way? What is the point of all this? Is there any point at all? Just fuck this, alright! Fuck you and your twisted game, whoever the fuck you are!” He heaved the last few words feeling their full weight on his tongue. “I am so tired of this shit, so… so… so…”

He was tired.

Heck, he was actually exhausted.

They had faced death a few times already, fought for their lives, and been hurt and used by people they knew. When would it be enough? When would this end? Would it end?

A sharp thought pierced through his fury: maybe he was not ready for it to end.

If it ended now, Yugi and him would go back to their reality and, what then? Would Yugi be willing to keep this friendship with him? Could they make it work in the real world where everybody expected them to be at each other’s throat all the time? Would Atem have any more opportunities to get to know the man beneath the cracks?

He felt his heart clench and, although he did not need to breathe here, he felt like suffocating. He stumbled back until his legs gave out under him and he dropped down on the ground, sitting amongst the pebbles. But it wasn’t enough. He let himself fall down on his back, laying in the rocks, and felt like being swallowed by the immensity of the colourless sky above him.

_Maybe I could just stay here… and sleep. Oh wait, fuck me, I CAN’T sleep here!_

He drove the palm of his hands in his eyes and sighed loudly. What he would not do for a break, a coffee or something, a very hot one he could drink wrapped under a blanket somewhere away from all this?

The faintest noise made him open up his eyes promptly, but instead of grey skies, he was met with a familiar head of spiked hair, a pair of purple eyes and just the hint of a smirk.

“What are you doing here?” Atem asked immediately.

Yugi frowned, still not moving from his position above him. “Geez, I feel so welcomed, thank you.”

The vampire sat back up, shaking his head. “That’s not – nevermind. How did you find me?” he replied, his tone warmer and less snappy than his first response had been.

Yugi shifted and sat down next to him on the pebbled beach. Atem prompted himself to a sitting position, once again noticing how the aggressiveness that had filled him ever since meeting Yugi in this reality had subdued to almost nothing ever since Yugi’s hand had touched his chest. It felt like such a relief to just sit next to him and have this invisible weight lift off his whole self. But what next?

Yugi chuckled lightly. “I followed the stench,” he said.

Atem rolled his eyes as he snorted. “Yeah, the meat, I know.”

The purple haired man put a hand to his heart and pursed his lips. “Actually no, the stench of betrayal covers it. I mean, you left me back there when I thought we were having a moment.”

The Egyptian felt like laughing. In the last few shifts, they had barely had time to laugh at things, being thrown into intense situations back and forth and getting to know each other on a whole other level, but this? He realised he might need this more than anything right now. Just an easy and laid back talk with Yugi, without any string attached. Just two people learning the crooks and nooks of each other, taming their differences.

Maybe Atem thought he had shared a very intense moment with Yugi, but he realised that maybe this had not been the right time, the right moment. That maybe they needed more time with each other. There were still so many things he did not know about the man sitting next to him. So many mysteries to solve, so many quirks to discover, so many details to uncover, so much Yugi to piece together like the intricate puzzle he was.

Right then, he knew that was what he wanted. Not physical intimacy like he had witnessed, not yet, but a different kind of intimacy, one that he wanted to grow between them. For that, he needed to take his time, to take slow steps without risking the other to run away from him. He was terrified of Yugi running away from him, he never ever thought he would be that scared, but he was now.

So what if it took time? Time was all they had in this endeavour they had been thrown into.

He was ready to give it time. To give them time.

He smirked and turned to the other. “A tad overdramatic, don’t you think?” he answered.

Yugi’s clear laugh was like the most heartfelt song to him then. “Dude, this is Twilight, it’s only fitting, don’t you think?”

He combined it with his own laughed as they both just cackled for the next few minutes about the ridiculousness of their current situation now that they both had regained control over their own minds and bodies.

When they both seemed to calm down, Yugi whipped tears of laughter out of his eyes with the back of his hand, angling his body so that he could look at Atem more easily. “So… You came here to brood like a teenager vampire.”

Atem nudged his shoulder. “I am a teenager vampire!”

Yugi rolled his eyes. “But you don’t have to act like one…”

The other crossed his arms in annoyance. “Says the guy who’s actually a cool shapeshifter.”

Yugi wiggled his eyebrows and flipped his hair with flair. “I am kind of warm and fluffy, right?”

Atem shook his head, chuckles still escaping his lips. “Probably another reason why I despise you here… I’d rather have fur than non-existing fangs. I mean, what is it with people finding vampires sexy? They are not. They are cold and heartless and they can’t eat garlic.”

Yugi nodded, indulging him in his rant. “Actually, they can’t eat anything beside blood, but keep going.”

Atem threw his hands in the air dramatically. “And don’t get me started on what this dimwit author turned them into…” He then raised an eyebrow and a knowing smile drew itself on his lips. “Anyway. Shouldn’t you be parading around half-naked like your pack mates?”

Yugi facepalmed, but Atem could also see a slight blush of embarrassment tainting his cheeks. “I always kind of thought that was fan service and not really bright. I mean, I know I’ll rip my shirt off, but damn, exposing myself to mosquito bites like that, what a stupid idea.”

Atem laughed again. “Oh, oh! Don’t forget poison ivy.”

Yugi’s eyes grew wide with recognition. “Right? I mean, I thread in the woods, that shit is literally everywhere!”

Once again, they just laughed as if nothing in the world could stop them from letting go for once. This reality may be horrible and hellish from a certain point of you, but now, it felt more like the world’s biggest joke to the both of them. They kept pointing out all of the inconsistencies about both their species here, things they had discovered about their persona in the few hours they had been here. They also found the fact that they were both intensively attracted to Jou for a while hilarious. Jou was a good friend to both of them, but they both agreed they could never feel this way about him and that this trifecta had been weird to experience at all.

When the laughter and the struggle to speak in full sentences died down again eventually, Yugi spoke up again. “You know, I may be a cool shapeshifter, but reading minds is actually pretty awesome.”

Atem regained his composure and a soft smile graced his lips. “I can’t read yours.”

The other raised an eyebrow at the fact. “What do you mean?”

Atem pushed a few stray bangs behind his ear. “Exactly that.” He gestured to their surroundings. “I can read anybody else’s here except yours, which is funny because I should be able to read everybody’s except Jou’s if this reality was exactly like the movies.”

“Oh…” Yugi replied thoughtful, but then a playful smirk appeared on his own lips. “You know, for a guy who hates Twilight, you sure know a lot about it,” he teased, nudging him.

The Egyptian frowned in retaliation. “Blame my childhood best friend for making me suffer through them.”

Yugi kept teasing him. “You could have walked away from it, I’m sure.”

Atem grabbed both his shoulders and shook him lightly. “You haven’t seen her pleading eyes. Puss in Boots’ got nothing on her, I swear.”

He realised this may have been a more intimate gesture, but it felt natural, like something he could do without fear or underlying meaning. Yugi’s eyes grew wide for a second, but his answer made it clear it was mostly about the words, not about the gesture itself. “Damn, that’s a powerful tool.”

Atem nodded almost gravely, and then sighed with a low chuckle. “That she used on me more times I’d like to admit.”

There was a beat just a tad longer then he had imagined would happen between them at that moment and then, suddenly, something appeared right in front of his eyes, shimmering gold into the grey air around them.

Atem’s eyes grew wide and he instantly reached for it, but stopped as his fingers hovered above Yugi’s hand. “How did you…?” he breathed out.

Yugi winked at him, pride in his eyes and a bright side smile. “I snatched it from Jou’s wrist right before he joined you in that clearing. He was so in his emotions then that he never noticed. I told you I had quick fingers!”

Atem smiled back, also proud of the fact that Yugi had been able to do what he had momentarily forgot all about it for a moment back then too. “You sneaky little thing!”

Yugi’s eyes left his as he focused on the trinket already glowing in his hand. His fingers played with it, fidgeting idly with it. His voice lost its playful tone for a second and there was a wave of emotion in it that hit Atem full blast. “Did you ever want to just take the damn thing and chug it across the water? Aren’t you tired of… not knowing?” Yugi whispered, maybe more to himself than to his traveling companion.

Atem was reminded once again of a storm. Yugi was not only plagued by that storm, he was the storm building up from time to time and then calming down every time he threaten to break. Again, he felt the immense desire to hold the other, to tell him to let go, that it was okay to do so.

But like the way he felt about his confusing and growing feelings for the other, he also felt it was not the right moment for that storm to hit. Not when he felt Yugi was once again withholding his roaring thunder and crashing lightning.

Atem could wait. He would wait. But he would be ready when the storm came.

“I am. Very much,” he answered with honesty before trying to lighten up the atmosphere just like the many times Yugi had also done in similar situations. “I was sulking before you arrived, remember?”

Yugi’s head snapped his way, intrigued. “You were sulking about that?”

The other nodded eargerly. “Yeah, I even yelled out my frustration at the ocean. Like an emo kid,” he said as he combed a bang over his eyes to prove his point.

It had the intended effect to make the clouds inside Yugi’s eyes dissipate and a small laughter escaped his lips. “Yeah, never mind chugging it here. It would be a horrible place to stay in.”

Atem motioned towards Yugi’s hands. “How about shifting then so we can see what mayhem we get thrown into next?”

Yugi brought the piece between them once again, but retracted his hand. “We could… but there is something I have to ask before we do,” he inquired with a very serious tone.

“What is it?” Atem answered frowning, trying to hide a gulp. He suddenly feared Yugi would dive into a conversation he was not ready to, one that would lead them once again down a path of awkwardness, and he did not want to. He wanted to stay into this easygoing mindset for a while, one that felt like budding friendship and playful jokes.

Yugi suddenly closed the distance, leaving but a few inches between them, his eyes dead set on his. “You gotta show me,” he said, his breath not quite ghosting his face.

This time, he really did swallow hard. “Show you what?” he breathed out.

The smirk that appeared on Yugi’s lips was downright devious. “Your sparkles, shiny!”

Atem pulled back suddenly and pushed Yugi, who was now a laughing mess. “Hell no.”

Yugi fell backwards from the push, but shifted to a side laying position, his hand balanced on his hand, elbow in the pebbles. “Oh come on, I’m dying here! I cannot shift before seeing you shine brightly. Like just the top buttons of that shirt, pretty please!”

Two could play at that game as Atem inched towards Yugi, his fingers playing with his shirt buttons, unpinning the first one and reaching for the second one, his face bending to meet Yugi’s eyes. Then, he stopped everything all together. “In your dreams,” Atem teased back.

Yugi groaned in disappointment at Atem buttoned himself back, laughing. “Not to be blunt, but if I dreamed about Twilight vampires, I would consider those nightmares.”

He sat back up and cleared his throat, offering the puzzle piece to Atem again. The other looked at him with some apprehension, but he was ready to leave this place now, even if he did not know where in the whole cinematic universe they would end up.

“Are you ready to become human again?” Yugi prompted, the glow of the trinket reflecting in his purple eyes.

Atem scoffed. “I wouldn’t be surprised if I ended up as anything now…”

The paler man wiggle his eyebrows at him, the waves crashing on the shore accompanying his voice. “Well, at least, I’ll get to annoy you because of my charming personality again, not because we are eternal enemies in love with the same guy.”

 _I’m starting to really enjoy that not-so-annoying personality, Yugi,_ was all Atem could think about right now, not that he would voice these voice out loud. At least, not yet.

Instead, he went with a clap back to their earlier insults. “And you shall despise me for my asshole demeanour.”

Yugi stuck his tongue at him. “What are we waiting for then?”

In a joking but impulsive move, he grabbed Yugi’s zipper from his hoodie, but did not pull it, just let the gesture hang it the air. “Somewhere, an army of fans must be waiting for you to take your shirt off…”

The other blushed furiously, and Atem could not help but find it incredibly endearing. “You’re an idiot,” Yugi retorted.

Atem smirked at his embarrassment. “I’ll take that as a compliment now.”

He touched the puzzle piece between Yugi’s fingers and felt the shift happen, the darkness swallowing the both of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yup, I went there hahaha!
> 
> It was just too good an idea to pass up.
> 
> Also, I would like to say that some of you were afraid that the boys would blame the alcohol or something... but trust me on this. Everything happens for a reason in this fic like I said previously and all shall be revealed in due time! <3
> 
> See you very soon, much sooner than previously!


End file.
